Friday March 23, 2018

Dear COS Member,

As some of you may know, Novartis/Alcon has announced that it is discontinuing Isopto Atropine 1%. Currently, Isopto Atropine 1% is listed as an “actual shortage” on the Drug Shortages Canada database, and Health Canada was unaware of the discontinuation when we reached out to them. Consequently, this announcement has caused some confusion regarding the actual status of Isopto Atropine 1%.

The COS has been in direct contact with Novartis/Alcon to confirm that Isopto Atropine 1% is being discontinued. We realize this is a great concern to our members. We have notified Health Canada’s Provincial/Territorial Drug Shortages Task Team of the discontinuation and we are currently working with the Canadian Association of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (CAPOS), the Canadian Glaucoma Society (CGS), and the Canadian Uveitis Society (CUS) to develop a response.

We have also been in touch with other industry partners to ensure that COS members will continue to have access to Atropine 1% in the meantime. At this time, we can confirm that Bausch+Lomb 1% Atropine minims are available as an alternative. In addition, Specialty Pharma Solutions has confirmed that they have the raw materials to produce Atropine 1% in 5mL droppers.

We will continue to provide you with updates as more information becomes available.

For more information, please contact:

Specialty Pharma Solutions
1-855-888-8538
[email protected]