Prescribing advice
A National Patient Safety Alert (NatPSA) on the shortage of methylphenidate prolonged-release capsules and tablets, lisdexamfetamine capsules, and guanfacine prolonged-release tablets was issued on 27 September 2023.
A Medicine Supply Notification (MSN) was issued for the shortage of lisdexamfetamine (Elvanse) capsules on 08 May 2024.
This guidance lifted prescribing restrictions on Elvanse capsules and advised ADHD service providers to resume prescribing for new and deferred patient initiations.
The MSN supersedes the National Patient Safety Alert issued on 27 September 2023.
Supply issues affecting atomoxetine capsules, guanfacine (Intuniv) modified-release tablets and methylphenidate (Equasym XL) modified release capsules have been resolved. Restrictions placed on new patient initiations for guanfacine and atomoxetine have been lifted and service providers should resume prescribing for new and deferred patients.
Prescribing advice is available from the following key resources listed in the NatPSA:
- NICE guideline [NG87]. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management
- MHRA (2022). Methylphenidate long-acting (modified-release) preparations: caution if switching between products due to differences in formulations
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.
Atomoxetine products
In stock
The following are currently available:
- Atomoxetine 10mg capsules
- Atomoxetine 18mg capsules
- Atomoxetine 25mg capsules
- Atomoxetine 40mg capsules
- Atomoxetine 60mg capsules
- Atomoxetine 80mg capsules
- Atomoxetine 100mg capsules
Affected
The following active supply issues exist:
- Atomoxetine (Strattera) 4mg/1ml oral solution
Discontinuation of Atomoxetine (Strattera) 4mg/1ml oral solution contains further details.
Dexamfetamine tablets
In stock
The following are currently available:
- Dexamfetamine 5mg tablets (generic)
- Amfexa 5mg tablets
- Amfexa 10mg tablets
- Amfexa 20mg tablets
Guanfacine modified-release tablets
In stock
The following are currently available:
- Intuniv 1mg modified-release tablets
- Intuniv 2mg modified-release tablets
- Intuniv 3mg modified-release tablets
- Intuniv 4mg modified-release tablets
Lisdexamfetamine capsules
In stock
The following are currently available:
- Elvanse 20mg capsules
- Elvanse 30mg capsules
- Elvanse 40mg capsules
- Elvanse 50mg capsules
- Elvanse 60mg capsules
- Elvanse 70mg capsules
- Elvanse Adult 20mg capsules
- Elvanse Adult 30mg capsules
- Elvanse Adult 40mg capsules
- Elvanse Adult 50mg capsules
- Elvanse Adult 60mg capsules
- Elvanse Adult 70mg capsules
Methylphenidate hydrochloride tablets
In stock
The following are currently available:
- Medikinet 5mg tablets
- Medikinet 10mg tablets
- Medikinet 20mg tablets
- Methylphenidate hydrochloride 5mg tablets
- Methylphenidate hydrochloride 10mg tablets
- Methylphenidate hydrochloride 20mg tablets
- Ritalin 10mg tablets
- Tranquilyn 5mg tablets
- Tranquilyn 10mg tablets
- Tranquilyn 20mg tablets
Methylphenidate hydrochloride modified release tablets
Methylphenidate modified-release tablet brands are in limited supply and intermittent regional supply disruptions are expected to continue until normal resupply resumes
In stock
The following are currently available:
- Affenid XL 54mg prolonged release tablets
- Concerta XL 54mg prolonged-release tablets
- Delmosart 36mg prolonged-release tablets
- Delmosart 54mg prolonged-release tablets
- Matoride XL 18mg Prolonged-release Tablets
- Matoride XL 54mg Prolonged-release Tablets
- Xaggitin XL 27mg prolonged-release tablets
- Xaggitin XL 36mg prolonged-release tablets
- Xaggitin XL 54mg prolonged-release tablets
- Xenidate XL 36mg prolonged-release tablets
- Xenidate XL 54mg prolonged-release tablets
Affected
The following active supply issues exist:
- Affenid XL 18mg prolonged release tablets
- Affenid XL 27mg prolonged release tablets
- Affenid XL 36mg prolonged release tablets
- Concerta XL 18mg prolonged-release tablets
- Concerta XL 27mg prolonged-release tablets
- Concerta XL 36mg prolonged-release tablets
- Delmosart 18mg prolonged-release tablets
- Delmosart 27mg prolonged-release tablets
- Matoride XL 36mg Prolonged-release Tablets
- Xaggitin XL 18mg prolonged-release tablets
- Xenidate XL 18mg prolonged-release tablets
- Xenidate XL 27mg prolonged-release tablet
Shortage of Methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets contains further information.
Bioequivalence
The following brands of methylphenidate modified-release tablets are bioequivalent to each other:
- Concerta XL
- Affenid XL
- Delmosart
- Matoride XL
- Xaggitin XL
- Xenidate XL
Prescribing and switching between modified-release methylphenidate contains a summary of the pharmacokinetic profiles for methylphenidate brands currently licensed in the UK. This can be used to support product selection.
Methylphenidate modified-release capsules
In stock
The following are currently available:
- Equasym XL 10mg capsules
- Equasym XL 20mg capsules
- Equasym XL 30mg capsules
- Medikinet XL 5mg capsules
- Medikinet XL 10mg capsules
- Medikinet XL 20mg capsules
- Medikinet XL 30mg capsules
- Medikinet XL 40mg capsules
- Medikinet XL 50mg capsules
- Medikinet XL 60mg capsules
- Meflynate XL 10mg hard capsules
- Meflynate XL 20mg hard capsules
- Meflynate XL 30mg hard capsules
- Meflynate XL 40mg hard capsules
- Meflynate XL 60mg hard capsules
- Metyrol XL 10mg capsules
- Metyrol XL 20mg capsules
- Metyrol XL 30mg capsules
- Metyrol XL 40mg capsules
- Metyrol XL 60mg capsules
- Ritalin XL 10 mg modified-release hard capsules
- Ritalin XL 20 mg modified-release hard capsules
- Ritalin XL 30 mg modified-release hard capsules
- Ritalin XL 40 mg modified-release hard capsules
Prescribing and switching between modified-release methylphenidate contains a summary of the pharmacokinetic profiles for methylphenidate brands currently licensed in the UK. This can be used to support product selection.
Further advice
Medicines Supply Tool
Update history
- Xaggitin XL 18mg prolonged-release tablets are out of stock
- Matoride XL 36mg Prolonged-release tablets are out of stock
- Xenidate XL 36mg, 54mg prolonged-release tablets are back in stock
- Xaggitin XL 36mg prolonged-release tablets are back in stock. Concerta XL 18mg prolonged-release tablets are out of stock
- Matoride XL 18mg, 36mg, 54mg prolonged-release tablets and Concerta XL 54mg Prolonged-release Tablets are back in stock
- Methylphenidate MR tablets updated with latest availability
- Ritalin XL modified-release capsules are now marketed in the UK.
- Concerta XL 18mg prolonged-release tablets and Affenid XL 27mg, 36mg and 54mg tablets are back in stock
- Concerta XL 36mg prolonged-release tablets are out of stock
- Xaggitin XL 18mg prolonged-release tablets are back in stock
- Concerta XL 18mg prolonged-release tablets are now out of stock
- Updated supply overview for methylphenidate MR tablets. Intermittent regional supply information added
- Concerta XL 36mg prolonged-release tablets are now out of stock.
- Methylphenidate MR tablets updated. Concerta XL 27mg & 54mg prolonged-release tablets out of stock
- Lisdexamfetamine capsules stock updated
- Matoride XL 36mg Prolonged-release tablets back in stock
- Delmosart 36mg prolonged-release tablets back in stock
- Removal of guanfacine MSN information from prescribing advice.
- Updated supply overview for lisdexamfetamine and methylphenidate MR tablets.
- Updated supply overview for methylphenidate MR tablets.
- Updated supply overview for methylphenidate MR tablets.
- Updated supply overview for methylphenidate MR tablets.
- Updated supply overview for lisdexamfetamine and methylphenidate MR tablets.
- Equasym XL 20mg capsules are back in stock.
- Guanfacine shortage is resolved.
- Updated supply overview for guanfacine, lisdexamfetamine; methylphenidate MR capsules and MR tablets.
- Xaggitin XL 36mg prolonged-release tablets are back in stock.
- Updates to prescribing advice section, and availability of lisdexamfetamine and methylphenidate MR tablets.
- Updated availability for methylphenidate MR tablets and guanfacine MR tablets.
- Equasym XL 30mg capsules are back in stock.
- Elvanse 40mg capsules are out of stock.
- Elvanse Adult 30mg capsules are back in stock.
- Updated availability for lisdexamfetamine capsules and methylphenidate MR capsules and atomoxetine oral solution.
- Equasym XL 10mg and 30mg capsules are out of stock.
- Elvanse 30mg capsules are back in stock.
- Equasym XL 30mg capsules are back in stock; Concerta XL tablets 18mg, 36mg and 54mg are affected.
- Elvanse 20mg capsules are back in stock.
- Updated availability for lisdexamfetamine capsules and methylphenidate MR tablets.
- Various changes for availability for lisdexamfetamine capsules, methylphenidate MR tablets and methylphenidate MR capsules.
- Amfexa 5mg, 10mg and 20mg tablets are back in stock; link to atomoxetine shortage removed as supply issue has resolved.
- Various changes for availability for lisdexamfetamine capsules, methylphenidate MR capsules, guanfacine MR tablets, dexamfetamine tablets, and atomoxetine.
- Intuniv modified-release tablets 1mg, 2mg and 4mg are now available; Elvanse 40mg capsules are now available; Affenid XL 27mg prolonged release tablets are now available; Equasym XL 20mg capsules are out of stock.
- Shortage of atomoxetine 25mg capsules is resolved. New product Meflynate XL 10mg, 20mg, 30mg, 40mg and 60mg hard capules are available; bioequivalence information added.
- Clarification added that SPS unable to handle questions related to availability.
- Back in stock: Elvanse 60mg capsules. Out of stock: Elvanse Adult 30mg, 50mg and 70mg capsules; Equasym XL 10mg and 30mg capsules; Affenid XL 27mg tablets, Xaggitin XL 36mg tablets and Xenidate XL 18mg tablets.
- Clarification added that SPS do not hold stock of medicines.
- Intuniv modified-release tablets 1mg, 2mg and 3mg are now out of stock.
- Elvanse 20mg capsules and 60mg capsules are out of stock.
- Information on bioequivalence for methylphenidate modified release tablets added.
- Elvanse 20mg, Elvanse 50mg and Elvanse Adult 30mg are back in stock.
- Atomoxetine 60mg capsules are back in stock.
- Equasym XL 30mg capsules are back in stock and are available via wholesalers.
- Atomoxetine (Strattera) 4mg/1ml oral solution is back in stock but unable to support an uplift in demand.
- The following are available from w/c 16 October 2023: Elvanse 60mg, Adult 50 mg and Adult 70mg capsules; Equasym XL 10mg and XL 20mg capsules.
- Xaggitin XL 18mg prolonged-release tablets are now out of stock; Atomoxetine availability updated.
- Medikinet XL 50mg capsules and Medikinet XL 60mg capsules have been added as currently available.
- Elvanse 30mg capsules and 40mg capsules are now out of stock.
- Shortage of Strattera 4mg/1mL oral solution (Eli Lilly and Company Ltd) added.
- Concerta XL 54mg prolonged-release tablets are back in stock.
- Published
- Xenidate XL 36mg, 54mg prolonged-release tablets are back in stock