Creon Shortage

[Wendal]

@Standup, @Pumper_Sue and @djdave, thank you for your updates. I've found out I can't make any progress with this tomorrow, so I'll explore what I can on Monday and advise the forum during next week - once I have something useful (or not) to tell you.

Morning Roland just picked up on this thread after a busy week.
Due to put my next prescription in next week so will see if I get any Creon ( which generally speaking have been able to get recently).
As I seem to be getting away with not needing as much I can certainly send you a couple of tubs if you continue to struggle so please DM me if required.

 

[Pumper_Sue]

@Standup, @Pumper_Sue and @djdave, thank you for your updates. I've found out I can't make any progress with this tomorrow, so I'll explore what I can on Monday and advise the forum during next week - once I have something useful (or not) to tell you.

My understanding is that the factory that manufactures the Creon is working at full capacity and just can not produce any more Creon.

 

[martindt1606]

All was fine with my Creon (well for around 6 months) and then the local MP told me about the switch to single wholesaler which would improve things immeasurably. Unfortunately my pharmacy didn't use Alliance and nobody told them of the change - so we went a couple of months with no to very sporadic supply. It took 3 attempts before they listened to me and contacted Alliance. They said that as a result they would be receiving an extra delivery to help with the backlog and would get a larger monthly quota/delivery going forward. The next week i heard nothing from them (usually get a text when prescription ready) so I rang them and was told that they had 15 in stock and would allocate those to me:
1. I sourced the creon why didn't they allocate any to me?
2. They had 2 outstanding prescriptions for creon, why didn't they allocate any to me?
3. what is the quota and why don't they order creon based on individual prescriptions and and allocate when received.
Currently considering whether to switch to Pharmacy2U.
Hopefully this will be all over in 12 months.

 

[Pumper_Sue]

They had 2 outstanding prescriptions for creon, why didn't they allocate any to me?
3. what is the quota and why don't they order creon based on individual prescriptions and and allocate when received.
Currently considering whether to switch to Pharmacy2U.
Hopefully this will be all over in 12 months.

My pharmacy was playing God with the Creon and giving to who they thought were in greatest need.
If you read my post above you will see it is a manufacturing problem, due to not being able to produce enough Creon at the manufacturing facility. So you going to another pharmacy wont make any difference what so ever.

 

[martindt1606]

My pharmacy was playing God with the Creon and giving to who they thought were in greatest need.
If you read my post above you will see it is a manufacturing problem, due to not being able to produce enough Creon at the manufacturing facility. So you going to another pharmacy wont make any difference what so ever.

I would have to disagree. When I first found this pharmacy I talked to the pharmacist he was very understanding and aware of the situation. If the initial prescription wasn’t fulfilled he resubmitted until it was. Then ownership changed, they started talking about quotas not prescriptions, communication changed and it went from we are trying to don’t you know there’s a shortage. it took multiple phone calls for them to listen to my advice and change wholesaler and when they eventually listened and received a creon delivery they didn’t say thank you and left 15 tubs on the shelf rather than allocate to a prescription which was over 6 weeks past due. Under current ownership this pharmacy is not worth staying with, any other pharmacy can only be better.

 

[Standup]

My pharmacy was playing God with the Creon and giving to who they thought were in greatest need.
If you read my post above you will see it is a manufacturing problem, due to not being able to produce enough Creon at the manufacturing facility. So you going to another pharmacy wont make any difference what so ever.

I found that prior to the changes the amount of Creon depended on which wholesaler the chemist used. My local one rarely had it but an even smaller pharmacy in the nearest town seemed to have regular supplies. I just didn't discover this until recently though and strangely they never came up when I rang the manufacturer helpline to find out where my nearest supplies were. They were invariably in a large city 3 hours drive away.

What I did have a couple of times was being told I couldn't have any as it was for 'regulars'. Generally speaking to the pharmacist resolved this but it does suggest that the prioritisation supposedly in place isn't happening which Martin's experience would back up. I'm supposedly a high priority but I'm not sure how that is communicated.

 

[Wendal]

Evening and my tuppence is I used to use a Well Pharmacy attached to my GPs and found them fine until they struggled to get Creon about 18 months ago but myvGP managed to source some from another local Pharmacy.
They then suggested a local Internet Pharmacy which I have been using since.
They have always been able to provide Creon and everything else since then with I think a week delay on one occasion.Being local they offer free delivery as well and will let you know if I get Creon with my next delivery in 1-2 weeks time after I put my scrip in next week.

 

[Proud to be erratic]

The formal position in England about Creon shortages is available from Community Pharmacy England. I tried to copy and past the link to this, but without success.

Viatris UK has announced that, from 1 March 2025, all orders of licensed Creon® preparations should be placed directly with Alliance Healthcare UK.

This is a shift away from the current three-wholesaler (AAH, Alliance Healthcare UK and Phoenix) distribution model to using only Alliance Healthcare UK as the sole distributor of licensed Creon® preparations in the UK.

There is an 0800 phone no but it seems to be for Pharmacy teams use.