Tresiba® FlexTouch® 100units/ml pens out of stock until January 2024

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has issued a medicine supply notification for Tresiba (insulin degludec) FlexTouch 100units/ml solution for injection 3ml pre-filled pens.

• Tresiba® FlexTouch® pens will be out of stock until January 2024.
• Tresiba Penfill® 3ml cartridges are available and can support increased demand.

The shortage will only affect patients using the prefilled pens; these patients will require a new prescription to change them to Tresiba 100units/ml cartridges and a reusable pen (Novopen 6).

GP surgeries have been advised to identify and amend prescriptions for patients accordingly but some will undoubtably arrive at community pharmacy. New prescriptions should be requested from the surgery for cartridges and reusable pen.

It is expected most patients will be changed onto Tresiba cartridges and a reuseable Novopen 6. Some patients may need to be shown how to load and change an empty cartridge in the pen.

• Printable ‘how to use’ https://www.novonordisk.com/content/dam/nncorp/global/en/our-products/pdf/novopen-echo-and-6/NP6E-quick-guide-June-2021.pdf
• Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auKfRsGXEoc

The Novopen 6 comes in two different colours (the prescription will reflect that), it is recommended that patients have different coloured pens for the different insulins they use.

Alliance order codes for the cartridges and pens:

• Tresiba Penfill Cartridges:  375-6491
• NovoPen 6 Blue 419-6697
• NovoPen 6 Grey/Silver 419-6689
• NovoPen Echo+ Blue   419-6663
• NovoPen Echo+ Red    419-6671

Product SPCs

• Tresiba 100 units/mL Cartridge (Penfill) - Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC)
• Tresiba 100 units/mL Pre filled (FlexTouch) - Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC)
• Novopen 6
• Novopen Echo Plus