Class 2 recall-Sabril Tablest & Sachets

Sanofi UK is recalling the listed batches of Sabril tablets and Sabril granules as a precautionary measure due to the detection of traces of tiapride in the batches of the source material of manufacturer for vigabatrin.

MHRA drug alert date: 13th July 2023

MHRA drug alert link: https://www.gov.uk/drug-device-alerts/class-2-medicines-recall-aventis-pharma-limited-t-slash-a-sanofi-sabril-500-mg-film-coated-tablets-and-sabril-500-mg-granules-for-oral-solution-el-23-a-slash-25?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm_source=94be4cc6-3f3c-4a30-93a1-c5282da420d6&utm_content=immediately

Further Information

For stock control enquiries please contact GB-CustomerServices@sanofi.com or via telephone: 0800 854 430. For more information or medical information at uk-medicalinformation@sanofi.com or via telephone: 0800 035 25 25.

Please return all affected stock to your original supplier for credit. Unfortunately we can only accept stock purchased from us (Alliance Healthcare Distribution Limited). Any other stock will be returned to your stores/Pharmacies.

Supporting the NHS – a Q&A with Kara Richards, Alcura nurse

Earlier this month we celebrated 75 years of the NHS. This prompted us to take a closer look at how we support our amazing National Health Service. In the first of a series of three interviews with Alliance Healthcare team members – we caught up with Kara Richards one of our Alcura nurses.

Alcura supports the NHS with both straightforward and complex patient needs through a comprehensive end-to-end service, to enable patients to receive care out of the hospital environment. 

Kara is the Operations Manager for the field team and manages the Alcura nursing team on a day-to-day basis. The team consists of 45 registered nurses who provide service to patients from NHS trusts across the whole of the UK.

As a registered nurse herself, Kara did her training at a hospital in Milton Keynes and has worked in various areas across the NHS covering all aspects of nursing in hospitals, the community, as well as the private sector supporting the NHS. She has always supported NHS patients and worked with the organisation to manage their care of patients by providing additional support and resources. 

When asked how she would sum up her experience of working with the NHS, Kara said:

“I started my career in the NHS and its where my true passion for nursing started. I think it's a fantastic organisation and I am very proud to have worked with them and of the support that we (Alcura) are able to offer them. Any help that we're able to give to support and work collaboratively within the NHS is just a positive thing. It would also be great to grow and innovate what we can offer to the NHS, the work that we do is very beneficial to our communities.”

Do you have one person you link to at the NHS or are you all inter linked?

“We deal directly with them and the clinical teams will have a contact escalation matrix if there are any issues they need to raise. I speak to the clinical nurse teams, the clinical home care pharmacists, consultants, and clinicians. We have review meetings for some of our services on a regular basis just to ensure that the service we're providing is suitable. We also work closely with our hospital account managers and the commercial and manufacturing account managers - communication between the two teams is important and done well.”

What was your experience of working and supporting the NHS during the pandemic?

“I worked in the field team as the pandemic started and we managed to continue all the services we provided pre-COVID without any disruption. The patients we cared for were very vulnerable, immunosuppressed and couldn’t go into clinics as they would do normally, so we played a vital role at that stage. Alcura nurses provided a continuous feedback link with the Trust, writing up detailed reviews of their patients, letting the NHS know if there were any clinical issues that needed escalating or raising. 

It wasn’t just about the physical giving of the medication but also the holistic, safeguarding, and mental health care too. It was a really difficult time for those in hospital as they were facing COVID head on, so we were able to really support those patients that were vulnerable in the community that may have not been monitored as closely. The support we got from the NHS and from the PPE suppliers meant that our nurses could continue working. I was told there was no delay in any treatment during that whole time frame. We just continued to follow NHS England guidelines and worked with the NCHA to ensure that our nurses stayed safe.”

How did you celebrate the milestone Birthday at Alliance Healthcare?

“We had tea and cake stations around the building as we joined in with the NHS Big Tea to celebrate. We also raised money for NHS charities and team members joined in with ‘wear it blue’ day.”
 

Class 4 Caution in use- Various products

Cipla (EU) Limited, UK and Pharmathen S.A. have informed the MHRA that the outer carton (box) of the product batches mentioned in this notification are missing the medicines legal classification for a Prescription Only Medicine (POM).

MHRA drug alert date: 13th July 2023

MHRA drug alert link:https://www.gov.uk/drug-device-alerts/class-4-medicines-notification-cipla-uk-limited-and-pharmathen-s-dot-a-various-products-el-23-a24?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm_source=b6c0ae7e-abfa-4f60-9c6b-067b05d5984f&utm_content=immediately

This is a caution in use only we are not accepting stock returns

Further Information

Cipla (UK) Limited

For more information regarding Cipla (EU) Limited, UK products, medical or supply enquiries, please contact telephone: +44 (0) 800 047 2144 or via email: drugsafety@Cipla.com & Uk.info@Cipla.com

Pharmathen S.A

For more information regarding Pharmathen S.A products, medical or supply enquiries, please contact telephone: +30 210 6604300 or via email: pharmacovigilance@pharmathen.com & info@pharmathen.com

Class 2 recall-Labetelol 200mg tablets

Tillomed Laboratories Limited is recalling one batch of Labetalol 200mg Tablets due to an error on the foil blister packaging.

MHRA drug alert date: 10th July 2023

MHRA Drug alert link:https://www.gov.uk/drug-device-alerts/class-2-medicines-recall-tillomed-laboratories-limited-labetalol-200mg-tablets-el-23-a-slash-23?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm_source=bc26380b-3aac-4997-a8ec-fb2dbd985b2b&utm_content=immediately

For all medical enquiries, please contact medical information at Tillomed Laboratories Limited by email to medical.information@tillomed.co.uk or PVUK@tillomed.co.uk or by telephone +44 (0)1480 402 400

Please return all affected stock to your original supplier for credit. Unfortunately we can only accept stock purchased from us (Alliance Healthcare Distribution Limited). Any other stock will be returned to your stores/Pharmacies.

Happy 75th Birthday to the NHS!

Wednesday 5 July marked 75 years of our amazing National Health Service (NHS).

Marie Evans, Managing Director, Alliance Healthcare UK said: 

“Today marks 75 years of our fantastic NHS, and we would like to take a moment to thank all the healthcare professionals who work tirelessly each day to keep our vital service running. This significant anniversary presents an opportunity for us all to stop and consider just how lucky we are that the National Health Service gives us comprehensive access to healthcare, free at the point of delivery, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. 

“We’re so proud that we work alongside them, supplying one in every three medicines taken by NHS patients and serving over 17,000 pharmacies, doctors, hospitals and health centres across the UK. At Alliance Healthcare UK we’re marking the occasion with lots of activity across our sites including local tea parties and encouraging our team members to wear blue on the day itself.”

At Alliance Healthcare UK team members across our sites got together to celebrate by wearing blue and taking part in activities such as bake sales and tea parties.

class 2 recall-Dacarbazine 100mg, 200mg & 500mg powder for solution

medac GmbH (t/a medac Pharma LLP) is recalling the products and respective batches in this notification due to pink discolouration of the dacarbazine solution immediately after reconstitution (after correct preparation and storage).

MHRA Drug alert link: https://www.gov.uk/drug-device-alerts/class-2-medicines-recall-medac-gmbh-t-slash-a-medac-pharma-llp-dacarbazine-100mg-200mg-and-500mg-powder-for-solution-for-injection-vials-el-23-a-slash-22?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm_source=a93dd3dd-bc51-450a-af44-322478241b22&utm_content=immediately

For all medical enquiries, please contact medical information at medac Pharma LLP by email to info@medacpharma.co.uk or by telephone 01786 458086.

Please return all affected stock to your original supplier for credit. Unfortunately we can only accept stock purchased from us (Alliance Healthcare Distribution Limited). Any other stock will be returned to your stores/Pharmacies.

class 3 recall-Sildenafil 100mg tablets (4)

Strandhaven Limited T/A Somex Pharma has informed the MHRA that the pack size on some cartons of the batch in this notification state 8 tablets instead of 4 tablets.

MHRA Drug alert link:  https://www.gov.uk/drug-device-alerts/class-3-medicines-recall-strandhaven-limited-t-slash-a-somex-pharma-sildenafil-100mg-film-coated-tablets-el-23-a-slash-21?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm_source=b8c33aca-6f1b-4cbf-9687-260318602393&utm_content=immediately

For medical information enquiries please contact email: regulatory@somexpharma.com, Tel: 020 8590 9399, choose option 3 or 4.

For stock control enquiries please contact email: regulatory@somexpharma.com, Tel: 020 8590 9399, choose option 3 or 4.

Please return all affected stock to your original supplier for credit. Unfortunately we can only accept stock purchased from us (Alliance Healthcare Distribution Limited). Any other stock will be returned to your stores/Pharmacies.

Wednesday 12 July 2023 Bank Holiday Opening Hours - Northern Ireland

Please note that Belfast Service Centre will be closed on Wednesday 12 July. There will be normal service provided on both Tuesday 11 July and Thursday 13 July.

● Orders placed on Tuesday 11 July, up to normal evening cut off, will be delivered on the morning of Thursday 13 July 

● Orders placed up to your normal evening cut off time on Wednesday 12 July will be delivered on Thursday afternoon

In the event of an out of hours emergency (i.e., urgent CD lines being required), please call customer service on 0330 100 0448.

Outside of normal opening hours, when you enter your account number, you will hear a message advising you of your supplying Service Centre. You will then be directed to the out of hours security company who will handle your call and direct it appropriately.

The previous emergency call-out numbers will no longer be in use, so please ensure you update your records with the number above to ensure there is no delay with your request.

Please note, all emergency call outs will incur a £100 charge, plus courier charges.

company-led recall: Vitabiotics Omega-H3 capsules

Due to an error during a carton design update, the allergen ‘Wheat’ was not highlighted in bold. However, the presence of wheat is correctly and clearly indicated in the ingredients list as ‘Wheat Germ Oil’ (from Wheat)’.

Please return all affected stock to your original supplier for credit. Unfortunately we can only accept stock purchased from us (Alliance Healthcare Distribution Limited). Any other stock will be returned to your stores/Pharmacies

Please note that anything not returned to us, or notified to us, within 3 months of this notification, cannot be reimbursed by way of a credit

Stock update from Novo Nordisk – 14 June 2023

Stock update from Novo Nordisk on: Rybelsus®, Ozempic®, Saxenda®, and Victoza®

Please click here for full information.