Wednesday, 17 August 2022
Meet the JournalistsPremiumAucklandWellingtonCanterbury/South Island
CrimePoliticsHealthEducationEnvironment and ClimateNZ Herald FocusData journalismKāhu, Māori ContentPropertyWeather
Small BusinessOpinionPersonal FinanceEconomyBusiness TravelCapital Markets
Politics
Premium SportRugbyCommonwealth GamesCricketRacingNetballBoxingLeagueFootballSuper RugbyAthleticsBasketballMotorsportTennisCyclingGolfAmerican SportsHockeyUFC
NZH Local FocusThe Northern AdvocateThe Northland AgeThe AucklanderWaikato HeraldBay of Plenty TimesHawke's Bay TodayRotorua Daily PostWhanganui ChronicleStratford PressManawatu GuardianKapiti NewsHorowhenua ChronicleTe Awamutu Courier
Covid-19
Te Rito
Te Rito
OneRoof PropertyCommercial Property
Open JusticeVideoPodcastsTechnologyWorldOpinion
SpyTVMoviesBooksMusicCultureSideswipeCompetitions
Fashion & BeautyFood & DrinkRoyalsRelationshipsWellbeingPets & AnimalsVivaCanvasEat WellCompetitionsRestaurants & Menus
New Zealand TravelAustralia TravelInternational Travel
Our Green FutureRuralOneRoof Property
Career AdviceCorporate News
Driven MotoringPhotos
SudokuCodecrackerCrosswordsWordsearchDaily quizzes
Classifieds
KaitaiaWhangareiDargavilleAucklandThamesTaurangaHamiltonWhakataneRotoruaTokoroaTe KuitiTaumarunuiTaupoGisborneNew PlymouthNapierHastingsDannevirkeWhanganuiPalmerston NorthLevinParaparaumuMastertonWellingtonMotuekaNelsonBlenheimWestportReeftonKaikouraGreymouthHokitikaChristchurchAshburtonTimaruWanakaOamaruQueenstownDunedinGoreInvercargill
NZ HeraldThe Northern AdvocateThe Northland AgeThe AucklanderWaikato HeraldBay Of Plenty TimesRotorua Daily PostHawke's Bay TodayWhanganui ChronicleThe Stratford PressManawatu GuardianKapiti NewsHorowhenua ChronicleTe Awamutu CourierVivaEat WellOneRoofDriven MotoringThe CountryPhoto SalesNZ Herald InsightsWatchMeGrabOneiHeart RadioRestaurant Hub

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.
New Zealand

Covid 19 coronavirus: Shipment of antidepressant drug fluoxetine (Prozac) held up by pandemic

3 Apr, 2020 07:47 PM5 minutes to read
There are 71 new cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand. The 71 cases are made up of 49 new confirmed cases and 22 new probable cases. It brings the total to 868 cases in New Zealand since the pandemic began.

There are 71 new cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand. The 71 cases are made up of 49 new confirmed cases and 22 new probable cases. It brings the total to 868 cases in New Zealand since the pandemic began.

Natalie Akoorie
By
Natalie Akoorie

Reporter

VIEW PROFILE
SIGN UP TO OUR COVID-19 NEWSLETTER.
SIGN IN OR REGISTER, THEN SELECT TOP NEWS STORIES

An ongoing shortage of New Zealand's most common antidepressant during the Covid-19 lockdown has one psychiatrist urging patients to consult a doctor before switching medication.

The drug fluoxetine, also known as Prozac, has been in limited supply since late February when Arrow-Fluoxetine tablets were moved to monthly dispensing instead of three months.

READ MORE:
• Premium - Fluoxetine depression pill shortage: Pharmac 'playing with people's lives', pharmacist warns
• Prozac: a mother's painful quest
• Pharmacists dispense antidepressant instead of pain killer
• Coroner's court probes dead youth's use of Prozac

The capsules of the same drug were reduced to monthly dispensing in November last year.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

That Teva brand medication was supposed to be phased out by April 1, in favour of the new funded drug Fluox, by Mylan.

Pharmac director of operations Lisa Williams said the Fluox brand was now not available because of manufacturing delays.

"To maintain continuity of supply, Mylan asked Teva to continue to supply Arrow-Fluoxetine until Mylan's manufacturing issues are resolved."

TO READ THE HERALD'S FULL CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE CLICK HERE

But there is also a shortage in Arrow-Fluoxetine and the latest delivery in March is now overdue because Covid-19 has affected the shipment.

"The supplier is working to get the stock air freighted to New Zealand as soon as possible and Pharmac is supporting them with logistics," Williams said.

"For people who are needing to fill their prescriptions for fluoxetine capsules now, pharmacists will be able to dispense them the tablet form of the same medicine."

Related articles

New Zealand

Why we're confused about driving during lockdown - and why we shouldn't be

03 Apr 06:51 AM
World

Coronavirus: More than 100,000 cases confirmed in New York as death toll surges

03 Apr 05:27 PM
New Zealand

Disruption of grieving rituals 'heartbreaking' during lockdown

03 Apr 06:03 PM
New Zealand|Crime

Supermarkets call for calm after staff member punched

03 Apr 06:15 PM

Fluoxetine is used to treat depression, obsessive–compulsive disorder, bulimia nervosa, panic disorder and premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

More than 300,000 New Zealanders were prescribed antidepressants last year. At least 95,000 of them took fluoxetine.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.
‌

The Herald has seen a letter from one senior psychiatrist at a district health board recommending if patients cannot get supplies of fluoxetine they switch to another available antidepressant.

These include citalopram, escitalopram, paroxetine, or a different class of antidepressant such as venlafaxine or mirtazapine.

However, Tauranga psychiatrist Dr Caleb Armstrong urged against switching without consultation with a prescriber because those antidepressants had much greater withdrawal complications than fluoxetine.

"It usually takes four to six weeks of not taking fluoxetine or taking it at a lower dose before people get into major difficulties with relapse into low mood or anxiety or obsessive compulsive disorder.

"If this supply problem is fixed in the next couple of weeks there shouldn't be too many difficulties for people."

But more than a few weeks without the medication would mean a number of people will relapse into mental illness "and that's a concern".

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

Armstrong said switching to the other antidepressants could present longer-term problems if they also became in short supply as the global coronavirus pandemic continues.

NeedToKnow3
NeedToKnow3

Complicating that was the fact five weeks was needed between ending one antidepressant and beginning another, to prevent serotonin syndrome.

Symptoms include high temperature, agitation, increased reflexes, tremor, sweating, dilated pupils, and diarrhoea.

"It's not just stop taking fluoxetine one day and start taking another drug the next day - you'll get sick."

He said he did not want people to "freak out" about the shortage.

"Most people won't go into immediate withdraw state. Most people will not be greatly harmed. There are other drugs where that wouldn't be the case."

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

Citalopram, escitalopram and paroxetine have a significant withdrawal syndrome, Armstrong said.

"I would be significantly more concerned about shortages in those drugs because of that potential for withdrawal.

"For some people it may be more sensible for them to hang on and see what happens to the supply of fluoxetine than jump across to something else that could in turn have supply problems.

"The seriousness of this problem really depends on how long the supply crunch goes on for."

Both of the fluoxetine brand drugs were made in India.

A psychiatrist warns not to "freak out" over a shortage in supply of antidepressant drug fluoxetine, also known as Prozac. Photo / Supplied
A psychiatrist warns not to "freak out" over a shortage in supply of antidepressant drug fluoxetine, also known as Prozac. Photo / Supplied

Covid-19 had exposed the fragile interdependencies in the international pharmaceutical market.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

China, where the outbreak began, is the world's largest supplier of bulk drugs.

India, which is a leading exporter of generic drugs, depends on China for more than two-thirds of its bulk drug needs.

Mental health advocate Jane Stevens said she was concerned about the shortage at a time when the country was in lockdown.

"It's worrying for people and certainly people don't need extra anxiety on top of what they're already facing," Stevens said.

She was also worried about the physical impact a brand switch could have on patients.

In October last year Pharmac changed its generic brand of epilepsy medication Lamotrigine to Logem, which was followed by several deaths.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

At least five deaths were linked to the Logem brand sparking the Chief Coroner to launch and inquiry and a backdown from Pharmac.

‌

• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

New ZealandUpdated

Live: State of emergency - hundreds evacuated in Nelson after river breaches banks

17 Aug 07:49 AM
New Zealand|EducationUpdated

Auckland high school placed into lockdown following fight

17 Aug 07:33 AM
New Zealand|PoliticsUpdated

Posties stop delivering flyers for October's local body elections

17 Aug 07:15 AM
New Zealand|Crime

For Sale: Lifestyle block formerly owned by meth ring's middle-aged bookkeeper

17 Aug 07:12 AM
New Zealand

Farm managers kept curtains closed to avoid gaze of camera installed by boss

17 Aug 07:03 AM

Most Popular

Premium
NZ's highest paid CEO: Fletcher boss takes home $6.58m
Business

NZ's highest paid CEO: Fletcher boss takes home $6.58m

17 Aug 05:30 AM
Adrian Orr fronts media after RBNZ hikes OCR by 50bp
Business

Adrian Orr fronts media after RBNZ hikes OCR by 50bp

17 Aug 02:00 AM
'Incredibly unsettling': Police update on suitcase homicide mystery
New Zealand|Crime

'Incredibly unsettling': Police update on suitcase homicide mystery

17 Aug 01:32 AM

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.
About NZMEHelp & SupportContact UsSubscribe to NZ HeraldHouse Rules
Manage Your Print SubscriptionNZ Herald E-EditionAdvertise with NZMEBook Your AdPrivacy Policy
Terms of UseCompetition Terms & ConditionsSubscriptions Terms & Conditions
© Copyright 2022 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP