Venlafaxine Shortage
The manufacturer of venlafaxine (Efexor)® has written to clinicians to inform them of stock shortages.
The letter from the Medical Director states that only the 75mg tablets are affected and that they are working urgently to resolve the manufacturing difficulties and they provide a website address for weekly updates. This website suggests that the problems will begin to resolve in two months.
As previously detailed, the MHRA have suggested that this drug is only initiated by specialists or GPs with a special interest in mental health. Additionally, venlafaxine should not be used in any patient with heart disease, electrolyte imbalance or hypertension.
Action: The MHRA advice suggests that this drug has a limited place in therapy. The current stock shortage provides the ideal opportunity to review current patients with a view to stopping or changing to a different antidepressant.
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I have been unable to get Efexor prolonged release 75mg tablets from pharmacies in Hull all this year. I have tried capsules but they make me feel extremely disorientated. I also tried Sunivinez which were better but I felt dopey and lethargic on them. I now need to reorder my prescription but really need Venlafaxine tablets. I have read that Pfizer are still making them so are there any pharmacies in the UK who can get them from Pfizer or any other source? I am in serious difficulty now as l have been taking Efexor tablets for several years and they are the only ones that work well for me. I am at a loss to know what to do!
Comment by VM Stanton — June 9, 2023 #
@VM Stanton,
There are other prolonged release tablet brands available in the UK, and as far as I can tell there are no issues with the Effexor brand nationally. It will depend on your prescription and how it is written so you would be best advised to speak to your usual pharmacy or doctor about what options you have.
Comment by Matthew Robinson — June 10, 2023 #