Xylocaine® 1 per cent (lidocaine) with adrenaline 100micrograms/20ml solution, used to anaesthetise part of the body for surgical operations or to provide pain relief, will be out of stock from mid-September until mid-October 2021.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has issued a medicine supply notification for the solution for injection vials.
Meanwhile, Xylocaine® 2 per cent with adrenaline is available but not enough to support an increase in demand.
Alternative licensed products containing bupivacaine and adrenaline also remain available.
Further, DHSC stated that unlicensed alternatives may be sourced in cases where the available products are not suitable.
If a prescriber wishes to prescribe an unlicensed import, an FP10 paper prescription should be issued as ‘Lidocaine 200mg/20ml (1 per cent) / Adrenaline (base) 100micrograms/20ml (1 in 200,000) solution for injection vials (Special Order)’ and endorsed by the pharmacy as a non-Part VIIIB special.
