Slo-phyllin® (theophylline) capsules – all strengths discontinued

The manufacture of Slo-phyllin® (theophylline) capsules in all strengths has been discontinued

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has issued a supply disruption alert (SDA) stating that, Merck, the manufacturer of Slo-phyllin® (theophylline) capsules, has discontinued production of all strengths of this medicine due to manufacturing issues. There are no safety concerns with the product. It is anticipated that Slo-phyllin® capsules will be out of stock from the end of November 2019; there is limited stock available to order directly through Merck customer services team if it is unavailable from regular wholesalers.

Pharmacists and pharmacy teams should be aware that:

• The DHSC has issued detailed guidance on options for patients requiring ongoing treatment as follows:
  • Details on suitable medicines that can be considered as alternatives, along with appropriate doses, are included in a table form
  • Requirements for monitoring of plasma theophylline levels
• Pharmacists requested by prescribers to provide advice on clinically suitable alternatives should request a full medication history for the patient from the prescriber, where appropriate, before suggesting alternatives
  • It may be convenient to retain a hard copy of the SDA for pharmacists to use in the dispensary of busy pharmacies/pharmacies dispensing regular prescription for Slophyllin® capsules to aid discussions with prescribers

For further information on this or any other query, please contact the NPA Pharmacy Services team on 01727 891 800 or email pharmacyservices@npa.co.uk.

 Produced by the NPA Pharmacy Services team November 2019.