Warfarin shortage?

[AFHenz]

Having submitted my monthly prescription request via the NHS App last weekend, I was contacted by my normal Tescos Pharmacy on Monday and asked to call back. On ringing, I was advised that there was a supply issue (and there had been one for a few weeks), they provided me with a hard copy of my prescription and advised me to try a larger pharmacy in possibly Derby (some 20 miles away). I tried a Boots Pharmacy in Alfreton and they were unaware of a problem and order was fulfilled .... Yesterday I popped in to my local village pharmacy and they were unaware of a problem although they only had a few boxes in stock. The pharmacist was very helpful and checked online for the 1mg tablets (the one prescribed for me) and came back saying that it looked as though there may be a supply issue .... Is anyone else aware of this? Thanks.

[BobD Volunteer]

The industry is riddled with problems like this . It is because the drug companies make batches of a drug and then switch to a different one on a rolling cycle which sometimes leaves stocks low. Funnily enough when I picked up my party bag last week I found my 1mg pills in a seperate bag. The trick to avoiding it is to put your request in a few days early each month till you are a month ahead of yourelf and have back up supply.

The last time we had reports of shortages it was flecianide.

[AFHenz in reply to BobD]

Thanks for the response and advice Bob, fingers crossed things may improve for next month

[MarkS]

I picked up my party bag and 1mg as well as 5 and 3mg were all there. I keep my stock at between 2 and 3 months worth.

[AFHenz in reply to MarkS]

Thanks for response.

[Bagrat]

No probs in sunny N Yorkshire but OH only using 2x 1mg tabs a week. You could prob do sums and use half a 3mg tab by adding total for week and dividing by 7. Warfarin changes INR slowly so weekly dose split a bit differently would be ok.

[ILowe in reply to Bagrat]

I routinely break tablets into quarters, as you say, it averages out over a week. When in hospital loads of people came to me and asked: your daily dose is 5.25mg. How can that be? [1 mg divided in 4, and you can get .5mg tablets now]. Are you really that sensitive? [5mg is too little, and 5.5mg is too much, so instead of doing alternate days 5 then 5.5 I choose to do a regular 5.25mg].

[AFHenz in reply to ILowe]

Thanks for response, always interesting to read how others manage their disease 👍

[AFHenz in reply to AFHenz]

Doseage .... Predictive Text 😆

[AFHenz in reply to Bagrat]

Good to hear.