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Prescribing and ordering available pancreatic enzyme replacement therapies

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Topics: Supply

The availability of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapies (PERTs) varies currently. Use our resources and mini-tool to find matches for licensed products.

About medicines supply advice · Advice generated by DHSC

This page was prepared and is being maintained by SPS on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care Medicine Supply Team (DHSC).

Contents
  1. Prescribing advice
  2. Switching between products
  3. Information for patients
  4. About our stock information
  5. Creon products
    1. In stock
  6. Nutrizym products
    1. In stock
  7. Pancrex products
    1. In stock
  8. Unlicensed imports
    1. Importers
    2. Guidance on ordering and prescribing unlicensed imports
  9. Update history

Prescribing advice

A National Patient Safety Alert (NatPSA/2024/007/DHSC) was issued on 24th May 2024.

A further National Patient Safety Alert (NatPSA/2024/013/DHSC) was issued on 18th December 2024.

Switching between products

SPS has produced a conversion tool to help identify equivalent and alternative products for patients currently taking any UK licensed PERT.

Find PERT alternatives and equivalences

Find constituents and alternatives for PERTs. We give the enzyme constituents by product and by quantity for each product, as well as alternatives.

Information for patients

Clinicians can share information with patients to help them manage the issue and address their questions.

The Cystic Fibrosis Trust has provided advice aimed to support patients manage supply issues with Creon.

The Pancreatic Society has also provided a PERT position statement for patients.

Pancreatic cancer UK has produced a number of resources with suggestions for patients.

Where appropriate, health care professionals may need to advise patients on the dangers of purchasing enzyme products of unknown provenance over the internet.

About our stock information

SPS is not a stock holding organisation. This page is maintained by the Medicines Supply Team at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and reflects the national supply situation. Stock availability may be subject to local variation and SPS is unable to handle any questions relating to availability.

Creon products

Creon products are subject to the following stock advice.

In stock

The following licensed products are available currently but in limited, capped quantities:

  • Creon 10,000 unit gastro-resistant capsules
  • Creon 25,000 unit gastro-resistant capsules
  • Creon Micro Pancreatin 60.12mg gastro-resistant granules

Shortage of Creon 10000 and 25000 gastro-resistant capsules contains further details.

Nutrizym products

Nutrizym products are subject to the following stock advice.

In stock

The following licensed products are intermittently available but are unable to fully support a significant uplift in demand:

  • Nutizym 22 gastro-resistant capsules

Pancrex products

Pancrex products are subject to to the following stock advice.

In stock

The following licensed products are intermittently available but are unable to fully support an uplift in demand:

  • Pancrex V 125mg capsules
  • Pancrex V oral powder
  • Pancrex V capsules

Shortage of Pancrex V products contains further details.

Unlicensed imports

Importers

The following importers of unlicensed medicines may be able to source pancreatic enzyme replacement therapies.

Product ranges and lead times may vary. Also note that the enzyme composition of unlicensed imports may differ from UK licensed products and it is therefore important to refer to the corresponding Summary of Product Characteristics for specific product information.

Guidance on ordering and prescribing unlicensed imports

Any decision to prescribe an unlicensed medicine must consider the relevant guidance and NHS Trust or local governance procedures. Unlicensed imports do not undergo any central quality assessment or suitability evaluation. Therefore, any import must be locally assessed in line with local unlicensed medicines processes. Please see the links below for further information:

Further reading

SPS has a range of additional resources on unlicensed medicines and their use.

Understanding unlicensed medicines

An understanding of the different types of unlicensed medicine will help in meeting patients' special clinical needs

Update history

  1. National Patient Safety Alert published on 18th December 2024 added. Two new importers added.
  1. Noted added about Nutrizym usage; change to availability of Pancrex products.
  1. Creon and Pancrex products are now back in stock.
  1. Nutizym 22 gastro-resistant capsules amended to show as being in stock.
  1. Creon Micro Pancreatin 60.12mg gastro-resistant granules are now also affected by the supply issue.
  1. Link to Pancreatic Cancer UK advice for patients added; amened "medicines" to "enzyme products".
  1. Clinigen added as provider of unlicensed PERTs.
  2. PERT equivalence and alternative mini-tool added.
  1. Published

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