Products Affected - Description

All Prevacid 24 Hr OTC presentations are available.

Reason for the Shortage

• Novartis stated the shortage was due to manufacturing delays.¹
• Prescription lansoprazole 15 mg and 30 mg capsules are not affected by the shortage.
  

Available Products

Prevacid 24 Hr OTC capsules, Novartis
15 mg, 14 count (NDC 00067-6286-14)
15 mg, 28 count (NDC 00067-6286-28)
15 mg, 42 count (NDC 00067-6286-42)

Estimated Resupply Dates

Novartis has all Prevacid 24 Hr OTC presentations available.¹

Implications for Patient Care

• Prevacid 24 Hr OTC is a proton pump inhibitor labeled for the over-the-counter (OTC) treatment of frequent heartburn, occurring 2 days or more per week, in adult patients. It is labeled for a 14-day treatment course and the treatment course can be repeated once every 4 months.²
• Omeprazole is another proton pump inhibitor that is available over-the-counter and labeled for the treatment of frequent heartburn symptoms (occurs 2 or more days per week) in adult patients. Omeprazole OTC is also labeled for a 14-day treatment course and treatment course can be repeated once every 4 months.^3,4
  

Alternative Agents & Management

• The Table lists the available over-the-counter proton pump inhibitors and their labeled dosages.
• Patients should contact their healthcare provider if they are unable to tolerate an alternative over-the-counter proton pump inhibitor.
   

  Table: Comparison of Available Over-The-Counter Proton Pump Inhibitors ^3-6

  Proton Pump Inhibitor	Brand Name	How Supplied	Labeled Dosage
  Lansoprazole	Prevacid 24 hr OTC	15 mg delayed release capsule	15 mg once daily in the morning before meal
  Omeprazole	Prilosec OTC	20 mg delayed release tablet	20 mg once daily in the morning before meal
  	Generic omeprazole (eg, store brands)	20 mg delayed release tablet; 20 mg delayed release capsule	20 mg once daily in the morning before meal
  Omeprazole/sodium bicarbonate	Zegerid OTC	20 mg omeprazole, 1100 mg sodium bicarbonate capsule	One capsule once daily in the morning before meal

Related Shortages

• Esomeprazole Magnesium Oral Suspension— Resolved
• Famotidine Injection
• Lansoprazole Orally Disintegrating Tablets— Resolved
• Pantoprazole Injection— Resolved
• Pantoprazole Tablets
• Ranitidine Injection

1. Novartis (personal communications). April 23, May 4 and 30, 2012.
2. Novartis Consumer Health (2011). Prevacid 24 hr OTC (lansoprazole) capsules [patient product information]. Parsippany, NJ, Novartis Consumer Health.
3. Astra Zeneca. Prilosec OTC (omeprazole) tablets [patient product information]. Wilmington, DE, Astra Zeneca.
4. Merck. Zegerid OTC (omeprazole/sodium bicarbonate) capsules [patient product information]. Whitehouse Station, NJ, Merck.
5. Wickersham RM, Novak KK, managing eds., eds. Drug Facts and Comparisons (eFacts). St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.; 2011.
6. Lexi-Drugs Online. Hudson, OH: Lexi-Comp, Inc.; 2011.

Updated

Updated May 30, 2012 by Ginny Jones, RPh, Drug Information Specialist. Created April 27, 2012 by Jane Chandramouli, PharmD, Drug Information Specialist. Copyright 2012, Drug Information Service, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT.