We strongly believe that, to ensure effective and equitable patient access to medications, prescribers should receive timely updates about the shortage or withdrawal of specific medications, be it temporary or otherwise.

To help track changes in access to dermatology medications in the UK, and to help inform other prescribers of any such change, we have developed a short, open-ended survey for you to register any shortages experienced locally.

We would like to hear from you if you notice problems with patients getting access to the medications they need, if you are a patient having problems accessing medication, or if a medication which was previously unavailable becomes available again.

Information collected through this survey will be used to alert healthcare professionals across the UK and to resolve issues, where possible.

New and ongoing medicine supply issues in dermatology

We will collate new, ongoing and resolved supply problems in the list below:

• Items with supply problems:
  • 5-Methoxypsoralen tablets
  • Bactroban 2% ointment
  • Balneum 3% 5% cream
  • Betnovate® RD 0.025% ointment
  • Betnovate® RD 0.025% cream
  • Betnovate® 0.122% ointment (30g)
  • Daktarin® 2% cream
  • Dalacin® 2% lotion
  • Ketotifen elixir
  • Lidocaine 2% with adrenaline
  • Permethrin (Lyclear®)
  • Naltrexone

• Items with resolved previous problems:
  • 8-Methoxypsoralen bath lotion
  • Actikerall® cutaneous solution
  • Aldara® cream
  • Betnovate® 0.122% cream (100g)
  • Cimetidine
  • Dermovate® NN cream
  • Eumovate® cream
  • Eumovate 0.05% cream
  • Erythromycin
  • Fluocinolone (0.025% ointment x 30g and 100g)
  • Hibiscrub
  • Ketoconazole 2% shampoo (Dandrazole®)
  • Ketotifen tablets
  • Methylprednisolone acetate (40mg/ml, 3ml vial x 10)
  • Propantheline 15mg tablet
  • Derbac-M®
  • Trimovate®
  • Zyclara®
  • Permethrin (other products)

• Items discontinued:
  • Calmurid
  • Dithrocream®
  • Nalcrom® (generic available)
  • Nerisone® Forte
  • Orabase® oral protective paste
  • Psoriderm® Bath
  • Selsun® (selenium sulfide) 2.5% shampoo
  • Tisept®

Further information on discontinuation of medicines may be available on the Specialist Pharmacy Services website and the NHS dm+d website.

Dermatology Special Medicines

Most prescribing uses licensed medicines whose safety and efficacy are assured. For many common dermatological diseases including psoriasis and eczema, the range of licensed medicines is limited. As a result, Dermatology prescribing may rely significantly on unlicensed creams and ointments (known as ‘Specials’) containing tars, dithranol, salicylic acid, steroids and other active constituents in a range of concentrations and bases. This is of particular concern in primary care where a lack of effective price controls and a mechanism to ensure independent scrutiny of product quality has increased costs and concern about standards. To address these concerns, and help optimise quality of care, adherence to the revised British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) list of preferred Specials (2018) is encouraged.