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Quetiapine shortage ‘frankly unacceptable’
Some doses of the antipsychotic medication could be in shortage until July, leaving both patients and GPs ‘alarmed’.
Shortages of some doses of quetiapine are expected to last until July 2025.
An ongoing shortage of quetiapine is continuing to plague patients across Australia, with no relief expected for more than a month.
According to a recent update from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), several 25 mg dose packs of the medication are unavailable or suffering limited availability, with some not expected to be back in full supply until the end of February and others not until July.
These shortages have been attributed to ‘manufacturing’ with the TGA confirming ‘the sponsor is working to expedite the next shipment’.
In other cases, it says ‘alternative generic products are available’.
Some shortages of the medication are beginning to ease however, with 25 mg and 300 mg dose packs from one manufacturer no longer in shortage as of 6 January.
Dr Cathy Andronis, Chair of RACGP Specific Interests Psychological Medicine, told newsGP the shortage is having big impacts on patients.
‘Many patients with major psychiatric conditions rely on quetiapine to help them sleep at night and the prospect of unavailability is stressful for them,’ she said.
‘Some patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder rely solely on quetiapine for management.
‘The prospect of alternative medication is alarming with the added risks of worsening their symptoms and loss of trust in the GP and the health system.’
The shortages are the latest in a string of medication unavailability across Australia in recent years, with some high-demand medications facing years-long shortages.
At the same time, rates of poor mental health are skyrocketing across the country, leaving many GPs citing it as one of their most common consultation topics.
Amid this rise in cases, Dr Andronis described these constant and worsening shortages as ‘disappointing’.
‘Disrupting vulnerable patients’ engagement with healthcare is always a major problem and should be avoided,’ she said.
‘Constant disruptions in medication supply by pharmaceutical companies has become a pandemic.
‘It makes the job of the GP much harder and in the 21st century is frankly unacceptable.’
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