• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Shortage in supply of Metformin SR

T

TILAD

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I am registered with the BOOTS prescription request service, whereby they put in for repeat prescriptions for me. This morning I went to fill my weekly tablets dispenser and realised that I had only 7 day's supply left of Metformin (and 2 days of another tablet!) I went online to check whether the prescription had been made up. Yes, on December 15th. I should have had a text from BOOTS to tell me to come and pick them up. So I trotted into town (10 mins walk) only to find that - yes, my prescription had been put together by the pharmacist BUT there was a problem with the supply of Metformin. "The factory have a manufacturing problem and there's a backlog in the supply. Go to your GP and ask for a prescription for an alternative."

I then went to my Health Centre, and it was confirmed by the pharmacist that there was a shortage of ALL Metformin SR tablets, and that she would get one of the GPs to provide me with a prescription for the ordinary Metformin. I will have to use that once my current supply runs out. The ordinary Metformin disagrees with my digestive system, is not sufficient to stop me having hypos and has to be supplemented by Sitagliptin to keep my Diabetes under control.

It strikes me that this a rather serious situation - that the company that supplies (presumably) thousands of patients with tablets has got a manufacturing problem. I went to the company website (TEVA UK Ltd) and have posted a message asking what is going on.

Wondering if anyone else out there is experiencing the same problem.....
 
I would not look forward to taking the non SR Metformin since I understand that it has laxative qualities. I think that I would not take Metformin until usual supplies were restored.

I should point out that I only ever took the SR version and no longer take it. I never found it effective enough to cause me to worry if I didn't take it.

Other opinions are available.
 
I got a 2 months supply of SR metformin on Friday from my normal pharmacy it is called Bolamyn SR I get the 1000 mg tabs
CAROL
 
Bolamyn SR is the brand that is produced by TEVA UK Ltd - the brand that I was last supplied with by BOOTS.
 
Yes, I had the same problem for my prescription they said they could only supply a few days (Bolamyn) and to come back and collect the rest in a couple of days. I was then told they have a manufacturing problem and cannot supply me with any more and can't give me my unfulfilled part of my prescription (84 tabs) because I had had it partially filled. I had to contact my GP and get Boots to supply me with the 1000mg Metformin instead of 500mgs. I asked if other pharmacies would be experiencing the same issue and was told "probably". I was really annoyed that Boots knew this before they filled any of my prescription but didn't warn me and didn't telephone to let me know I needed to contact my GP for a knew script - I ended up with none for a couple of days,
 
I take sitagliptin. To reduce my glucagon production.
In my opinion if you are on the gliptin then a couple of days without the metformin won't do that much harm.

Do you monitor as recommended and do you hypo?
 
I have the same problem with Lloyds no one seems to know what the problem is. I have just over a weeks supply left I hope it gets sorted soon standard metfornin has a very bad effect on me
 
Reply that I got from TEVA today:

"Thank you for your enquiry.

Unfortunately I do have to confirm that we are experiencing supply issues with the Metformin 500mg SR (Bolymin) Tablets. At the moment we do not have an accurate date to offer you but we are expecting it to be at some point in January. I will keep your details on file and once I am notified of an exact date I will contact you again to advise.

When the stock becomes available it will be allocated to our wholesalers as a priority and they can then in turn supply to pharmacies throughout the UK.

I apologise for the inconvenience this is currently causing you, I can appreciate it is frustrating. I assure you we are doing all we can to resume supply asap and I will be in contact shortly with an update."

Not good!
 
nosher8355 said:
I take sitagliptin. To reduce my glucagon production.
In my opinion if you are on the gliptin then a couple of days without the metformin won't do that much harm.

Do you monitor as recommended and do you hypo?
Click to expand...
Hi Nosher. Side point, but I think you may find the Gliptin family of DPP-4 inhibitors suppress an enzyme that in turn suppresses insulin production after a meal; that way you have extended post-meal insulin production. Google the web to confirm.
 
I usually have metabet SR, and when my repeat (for multiple items) was filled at the beginning of the month I was given glucophage instead, with a note from the pharmacist that the metabet was out of stock. i wonder if it's part of the same problem.

We have a pharmacy attached to our village surgery and I think that this probably helps us with any lack of supplies issues. Several years back there was a manufacturing problem with eye drops that I have to take, and our (previous) pharmacist went to a fair bit of trouble to see if she could find anywhere else local that still had some available. I now keep a little stockpile in case of there ever being further issues. From experience I know it's a scary situation when something you regard as a sort of lifeline is suddenly no longer available, and it certainly made me feel very vulnerable at the time.

Robbity
 
Daibell said:
Hi Nosher. Side point, but I think you may find the Gliptin family of DPP-4 inhibitors suppress an enzyme that in turn suppresses insulin production after a meal; that way you have extended post-meal insulin production. Google the web to confirm.
Click to expand...

I believe you will find this is what it says;

Sitagliptin works to competitively inhibit the enzydipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) this enzyme breaks down the incretins GLP 1 & GLP + GIP, gastrointestinal hormones released in response to a meal.
By preventing GLP & GIP inactivation, they are able to increase secretion of insulin and suppress the release of glucagon by the alpha cells of the pancreas.

Thus helping me not to hypo.

My consultant has worked me through this and Wikipedia confirms this.
It is the reduction in glucagon what helps to prevent hypos.



Thanks for the interest! Merry Christmas!
 
I received a 2 month supply of Metabet SR 1000 metformin on Wednesday and they didn't mention any shortages
From chemist in kent UK
Just info im not trying to be MR clever :¬)

Oh and Happy thingy all :¬)
 
@madusmacus - thanks for that info - I'll hope that my next batch will be back to normal then , and this was just a minor glitch.

Robbity
 
My branch of BOOTS received delivery from wholesalers from another manufacturing on 27 December - just in time for me! Apparently it was only Metformin SR that was in short supply.
 
I hope it's resolved as I have to switch today as the normal one was giving me lactic acid problems.
 
TILAD said:
I am registered with the BOOTS prescription request service, whereby they put in for repeat prescriptions for me. This morning I went to fill my weekly tablets dispenser and realised that I had only 7 day's supply left of Metformin (and 2 days of another tablet!) I went online to check whether the prescription had been made up. Yes, on December 15th. I should have had a text from BOOTS to tell me to come and pick them up. So I trotted into town (10 mins walk) only to find that - yes, my prescription had been put together by the pharmacist BUT there was a problem with the supply of Metformin. "The factory have a manufacturing problem and there's a backlog in the supply. Go to your GP and ask for a prescription for an alternative."

I then went to my Health Centre, and it was confirmed by the pharmacist that there was a shortage of ALL Metformin SR tablets, and that she would get one of the GPs to provide me with a prescription for the ordinary Metformin. I will have to use that once my current supply runs out. The ordinary Metformin disagrees with my digestive system, is not sufficient to stop me having hypos and has to be supplemented by Sitagliptin to keep my Diabetes under control.

It strikes me that this a rather serious situation - that the company that supplies (presumably) thousands of patients with tablets has got a manufacturing problem. I went to the company website (TEVA UK Ltd) and have posted a message asking what is going on.

Wondering if anyone else out there is experiencing the same problem.....
Click to expand...
Hi, I'm having to use a generic tablet made by Actavis called Metabet SR.. These seem to be doing its job OK. I also inject Apidra and Humulin I. I'm type 1. I used to use glucophage SR but my chemist cannot get hold of them????
 
I have had metabet and it seems to work just the same as other types of Metformin
CAROL
 
Back
Top