Pabrinex IV will be out of stock from July/ August 2024 until September 2025, due to supply issues relating to manufacturing regulations issued by the EU. Pabrinex IM will be permanently discontinued from December 2024. Pabrinex is only used in the UK, with thiamine IV/ IM being routinely used globally. 

At present, the plan is to obtain unlicensed IV and IM thiamine from Europe with dosing guidance available via the SPS link below. 

Applications for the licensing of thiamine IM and IV are due to go to the MHRA, which will hopefully be granted before the end of the year.

It is important to note if a Patient Group Direction (PGD) is being used (often used in community setting), only licensed products can be used in this setting. Therefore IM Pabrinex should be conserved for this purpose. 

The following has been published online by the DHSC Specialist Pharmacy Service.

Joanna Henry, Gastroenterology Directorate Pharmacist, Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Trust

Sital Shah, Chair British Hepatology Pharmacy Group , Consultant Pharmacist, King’s College Hospital, London