Medicine Supply Notification: Trandate® (labetalol) 50mg tablets

Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has issued a medicine supply notification for Trandate® (labetalol) 50mg tablets

MSN/2024/101

Tier 2 medium impact

Date of issue: 7th October 2024

  • Trandate® (labetalol) 50mg tablets will be discontinued from July 2025.
  • Alternative low dose beta-blockers remain available. Where these are not suitable, UK manufactured Specials of labetalol 50mg/5ml oral suspension may be sourced, lead times vary.

Unlicensed products

The following Specials manufacturers have confirmed they can manufacture labetalol 50mg/5ml oral suspension sugar-free (please note there may be other companies that can also manufacture supplies):

If there is currently no listing on dm+d for the imported product for prescribers to select using their prescribing systems an EPS prescription for the unlicensed product cannot be issued. Where a prescriber wishes to prescribe a specially manufactured or imported product, an FP10 paper prescription should be issued as ‘labetalol 50mg/5ml oral suspension sugar-free (Special Order)’ and endorsed by the pharmacy as a non-Part VIIIB special with the following information:

  • Amount dispensed over pack size used;
  • Invoice price per pack size from which the order was supplied less any discount or rebate;
  • Manufacturers’/importers’ MHRA licence number;
  • Batch number of the product supplied;
  • SP

A copy of this medicine supply notification, including further information, has been sent to all pharmacy NHS email addresses.

DHSC and NHSE/I have now launched an online Medicines Supply Tool, which provides up to date information about medicine supply issues. The contents of these MSNs can now be viewed on the Tool.

The Tool also details any changes to resupply dates and updates to the entries.

To access the Tool you will need  an NHS email address. Once set up and logged in, you will be able to access it online.

New shortages not listed on the SPS website, can be reported using our shortage reporting tool.

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