Promethazine hydrochloride 25mg tablets are out of stock until mid-August, the Department of Health and Social Care has said.

In a supply update yesterday (July 6), the DHSC said there are “limited supplies” of alternative promethazine preparations, and that alternative sedating antihistamines continue to be available.

Where these are not suitable options, unlicensed supplies of promethazine 25mg tablets may be sourced, with lead times for these reportedly varying.

Specialist importers Alium Medical, Mawdsley’s Unlicensed and Target Healthcare have all indicated they can source unlicensed supplies of the medicine.

The PSNC told contractors: “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 unlicensed Promethazine hydrochloride 25mg tablets cannot be issued.”

An FP10 paper prescription should be issued in the case of unlicensed imports, with pharmacies required to endorse this as a non-Part VIIIB special with information including the amount dispensed over pack size used and the batch number of the product supplied.