Today I was told by our pharmacy that they could only refill our sinemet rx for half the amount needed because that's all they had on the shelf and the manufacturer is no longer making it! Has anyone else heard this?

We tried the generic and it does NOT work for us. I don't know what we are going to do. The pharmacist suggested I call around to get what little inventory of name brand sinemet might still be out there on other pharmacy's shelves, but at some point, it too will all be gone.

Any suggestions?

I found these -
[Information about the temporary global supply shortage of SINEMET AND SINEMET CR

Merck (known as MSD outside the U.S. and Canada) is currently managing a temporary global supply shortage of SINEMET® (carbidopa-levodopa) and SINEMET CR® (carbidopa-levodopa controlled release), which are Merck's Parkinson's disease products. I would like to personally express our sincere apology for this supply interruption. Merck is doing its best to restore supplies as soon as possible and sincerely regrets any inconvenience or distress this interruption has caused to people who rely on SINEMET.

The extent of this supply shortage varies from country to country. Although our supply estimates change from time to time, all dosage strengths of SINEMET IR (immediate release) are now fully available in most markets, and SINEMET CR is in the process of being re-supplied. We expect SINEMET CR to be fully available by mid 2011 to most markets, contingent on regulatory approvals (see below). ]
more-
http://www.epda.eu.com/news/2010-07-29-epda/

and - googled results- sinemet shortage 2011 -
http://www.google.com/search?q=Name+...2b21bd614e0a97


If you found that the generic doesn't work for you & your dr noted in in your records -then maybe contact Merck directly with that information - perhaps they can place you on a list for the brand name supply.

Knew there was a shortage in the US. Had not heard that they were no longer producing it. Will try and find out more for you. There is a difference between branded and generic; depending on which generic you get, there are better and worse. Please anyone with any more info on this post here.
Lindy

PS for those who do not know, this global shortage has been going on since late 2009, and has been passed from country to country, the latest being the US.

Please post here if you have been affected by this.

national parkinson foundation website info on shortage of sinemet:

http://www.parkinson.org/About-Us/Pr...-Shortage-of-S

national parkinson foundation website info on shortage of sinemet:

http://www.parkinson.org/About-Us/Pr...-Shortage-of-S

From the Lewy Body Dementia Assoc:

http://community.lbda.org/forum/view...php?f=4&t=2711

for a reason why generics may have a different effect........

Letter from merck on PAN site:

http://www.parkinsonsaction.org/news...nemet-shortage

My favorite doctor and I began discussing generics at my last visit, and she informed me that the FDA tolerates up to a 40% discrepancy in bioavailability generic vs. name brand drugs. Is it any wonder we all respond differently?

This website supports this but says 20 % and for some of us that may be enough to make a difference!

http://counsellingresource.com/medic.../generics.html

This guy shoots from the hip on the topic in a humorous way.

http://www.crazymeds.us/BvsG.html


-Lau

I am amazed they dare to introduce the shortage to the U.S.A.
For anyone wanting more information and speculation, it was discussed on Neurotalk;
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread113354.html
Then the discussion moved to the U.K. in this thread:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread129198.html

The wikipedia entry below says that Merck stopped manufacturing while waiting for regulatory approvals, which chimes with the first post in this thread.

However, Merck(MSD) has not answered any questions with any significant clarity.

If this becomes a significant problem for patients in the US and you are personally affected, or have concerns I suggest that you contact your patient orgs and ask that they request an answer to these questions:

What regulatory approvals are Merck (MSD) awaiting for, and where?
When do they anticipate the approvals being made?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbidopa/levodopa

I would also pass this info on to patient groups or anyone you hear of who is affected:

Please be aware that generics can vary both upward and downward in their levodopa content. If you are changed to a generic and have not used one before, be prepared to have to readjust your medication to take account of the difference. Please discuss this with your neurologist/doctor.

This has affected a lot of people globally already.

In Canada, generics are said to be 80% to 120% as potent as the original. A range of 40% may not affect a lot of disease, but with PD, where stability is so important, the 40% difference you might face is a high price to pay to allow the Merck buy-out of Shering Plough to be papered over as a reverse take-over, to get around the "no change of control"
legal obligation. Merck will not name the supplier or give any information of substance or reveal why the supplier was changed with no advance planning. Buying out their competitor was a package deal that somehow required throwing a supplier overboard; tough luck for the spastics that it just happened to be sinemet that got lost in the shuffling of corporate cards.

i always took generics and once they switched me and they didn't work. now the non working one is all they are getting and it doesn't work. the pharmacist seems to think they can get name brand or the previous brand of generic so i need to get a prescription. They are definitely NOT the same.