A widely prescribed antidepressant, venlafaxine, is out of stock in the United Kingdom, with the 75mg dosage of immediate-release tablets expected to be unavailable until November, health chiefs have warned. The drug is commonly prescribed for depression, anxiety, and symptoms of menopause.
According to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), new prescriptions for the 75mg immediate-release venlafaxine tablets should not be issued during this shortage. These specific tablets are prescribed for more severe mental health conditions and are taken twice daily. While some modified-release versions of venlafaxine, including 37.5mg, 75mg, and 150mg capsules and 75mg tablets, can be used to supplement demand, other forms are not suitable replacements. These include 37.5mg immediate-release tablets, certain modified-release tablets (37.5mg, 150mg, 225mg, and 300mg), 225mg and 300mg capsules, and liquid versions.
Venlafaxine is classified as a selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (SNRI), a class of drugs believed to work by increasing levels of mood-regulating chemicals like serotonin and noradrenaline. SNRIs are typically considered when selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have been ineffective or caused adverse side effects. The drug is also utilized to manage hot flashes and night sweats in menopausal women.
Data from DoseTrend indicates that over eight million prescriptions for venlafaxine have been issued in Britain over the past 12 months, with approximately 6.5 million dispensed in England. This shortage follows a summer marked by widespread medicine scarcity, which pharmacists have described as a 'national crisis'.
Oliver Picard, chair of the National Pharmacy Association, stated that the UK is experiencing some of its most severe medicine shortages in years, leading to a volatile drug market and placing patients and caregivers in difficult situations. Ade Williams, lead pharmacist at Bedminster Pharmacy in Bristol, echoed these concerns, characterizing the drug availability issues as a 'national crisis.'
Several other medications are currently experiencing shortages in Britain, including ramipril, propranolol, estradiol, creon, co-codamol, diamorphine, and cefixime. Experts have previously cautioned that the fragility of medicine access in Britain puts patients at risk of serious health events.