Famotidine Injection going away?

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Sharyn & Fiona

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Fiona has be on injectable Famotindine (Pepcid AC) for years. I think she has acid reflux like her mom. When her tummy is empty (usually in the morning) she's upchucks. Fortunately, I don't throw up. ;-) Famotidine injections at night help a lot. I give injections because she HATES to be pilled.

My vet told me yesterday that he can no longer get it through his distributors. He said Road Runner compounding pharmacy could make some up for a hefty price. Need to call on Monday to see how much. I found some online through a Canadian pharmacy. I emailed Baxter Health late yesterday, don't expect to hear back until next week.

Has anyone else run into this problem?

I did see on my Famotidine quest that Zantac is available as injectable. Would've been nice for my vet to mention that. :roll:
 
i think i've seen in recent months something about a shortage of it or it being on backorder but i hadn't seen anything about it going away. :-(
 
I always gave Smokey his "Pepcid" pill crushed into his food.

If you are giving regularly, I think a therapeutic level would build up in the body
and the timing (1 hour before a meal) is not so critical.

I gave Smokey 2.5 mg Famotidine crushed into his breakfast and dinner.
 
I'm still trying to get it, I've been waiting since September. My vet's office just received their order finally so I'm hopeful I will be able to get mine soon.
 
I ended up getting mine through a Sam's Club/Walmart and it was MUCH cheaper than going through the vet (under $15 vs $30).

It was famotidine, but not the same looking bottle I got from the vet. Maybe it was a different distributor? Sorry I no longer have any bottles to check that info for you.

Give them a try, tho.

Does your kitty have access to food overnight? WIlling to eat? Could you give your kitty a snack before bed?

Having pretty much all meds we needed in an injectible form was so important to us. QOL was a big issue when it came to pilling. I hope you find some!
 
BJM said:
Have you tried using a pill pocket? Maybe with the pill crushed first?
Click to expand...

It has a terrible bitter taste crushed up. I actually tasted it after trying that way with Latte and seeing her foam at the mouth. Blech!
Not one pill I recommend crushing.
 
would crushing it up and dissolving it in a little water then syringing it into kitty's mouth work? Not sure if it would do anything with the potency, but liquid "pilling" on Spot is much easier than regular pilling
 
Info I got from Baxter Healthcare Corp (manufacturer of my bottle)

Thank you for your inquiry. Baxter's U.S. "multi-source" generic
injectables in vials and ampoules business was divested to Hikma
Pharmaceuticals PLC in July 2011. As of November 1, 2011, West-Ward
Pharmaceuticals Corp., the U.S. agent for, and wholly-owned subsidiary
of, Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC has assumed full operations for these
products. Please contact West-Ward for more information.

West-Ward Pharmaceutical Corp.
401 Industrial Way West
Eatontown, NJ 07724-2206
T 732.542.1191
F 732.542.0940

Customer Service
T 800-631-2174
west-ward@west-ward.net
www.west-ward.com

I called, a very unhelpful person told me it was on back order but wouldn't give me any more info since I was consumer versus veterinarian, distributor, or pharmacist. :evil: I called my vet and asked them to call. If anyone wants to try calling and get more info the NDC code is 10019-046-63 for Famotidine Injection, USP, 200mg/20ml vial
 
more info: http://www.ashp.org/DrugShortages/Current/Bulletin.aspx?id=810
Famotidine Injection
[28 December 2011]

Products Affected - Description

Famotidine 10 mg/mL injection, (West-Ward formerly Baxter)
2 mL vial (NDC 10019-0045-02)
4 mL vial (NDC 10019-0046-04)
20 mL vial (NDC 10019-0046-03)

Famotidine 10 mg/mL injection, Bedford
2 mL vial (NDC 55390-0029-10)
4 mL vial (NDC 55390-0028-10)
20 mL vial (NDC 55390-0027-01)
50 mL vial (NDC 55390-0026-01)

Reason for the Shortage

•Ben Venue voluntarily suspended all manufacturing and distribution in mid-November, 2011 on a temporary basis for maintenance and requalification of equipment. Product will become available in stages as production resumes.
•Bedford Laboratories has temporarily suspended the distribution of Ben Venue Laboratories manufactured products. Availability of products is updated on the Bedford Laboratories website.1
•West-Ward (formerly Baxter) cannot provide a reason for the famotidine shortage.2
•Oral famotidine products are not affected by this shortage.

Available Products

Famotidine 10 mg/mL, APP
20 mL vials (NDC 63323-0738-20)
2 mL vial (NDC 63323-0739-12)
4 mL vial (NDC 63323-0738-04)

Famotidine premixed bags, Baxter
20 mg/50 mL (NDC 00338-5197-41)

Estimated Resupply Dates

•Bedford has all famotidine 10 mg/mL presentations on back order and the company cannot estimate a release date. Production is pending as capacity permits.
•West-Ward (formerly Baxter) has famotidine 10 mg/mL 2 mL and 4 mL vials on back order with an estimated release date of January, 2012. Famotidine 20 mL vials have an estimated release date of early-January, 2012.

Found online at http://www.canadadrugs.com/group/Pepcid ... 0mL/21081/, smaller vials

As for pill pockets, they are full corn syrup, gluten, flour. Plus Fiona has no teeth due to stomatitis, but she didn't like them when she did have teeth.
 
I just checked with the pharmacy at the med center where I work. They have the injectible on back order so it's not just veterinary supplies that are effected.
 
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