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1/8/24 Retacrit Shortage
January 8, 2024
Effective today, we have converted back to using RETACRIT instead of PROCRIT for epoetin alfa orders.
All Cerner and Pyxis changes have been completed.
All epoetin alfa products are in short supply, so we will likely have to continue to switch back and forth between Retacrit and Procrit for the foreseeable future.
Thanks,
Steven Higginbotham, Pharm.D.
Pharmacy Manager - Central Pharmacy Services
Huntsville Hospital Department of Pharmacy
Phone : (256)265-4535
From: "Steven Higginbotham" <steven.higginbotham@hhsys.org>
To: "Pharmacy Department" <grp_pharmacy@hhsys.org>
Sent: Friday, June 30, 2023 2:09:42 PM
Subject: Retacrit Shortage (again)
All Retacrit vial sizes are once again on long-term backorder. This afternoon, we will convert to Procrit 2,000 units/1 mL, 4,000 units/1 mL, and 10,000 units/1 mL vials. We will continue to utilize Retacrit 40,000 units/1 mL vials until we exhaust our supply.
At approximately 1400 today, Pharm IT will make the necessary changes in Cerner and Pyxis so that we can utilize Procrit vials as we have been using Retacrit vials. The only exception is that we will continue to use Retacrit 40,000 unit vials to prepare SQ doses >= 6,000 units and for IVP dose >= 22,000 units.
We currently stock the following vial sizes:
Retacrit 2,000 units/1 mL ---------- convert to Procrit 2,000 units/1 mL
Retacrit 4,000 units/1 mL ---------- convert to Procrit 4,000 units/1 mL
Retacrit 10,000 units/1 mL ---------- convert to Procrit 10,000 units/1 mL
Retacrit 40,000 units/1 mL ---------- continue to use Retacrit 40,000 units/1 mL until supply is exhausted
This will be a 100% conversion to Procrit for the 2,000, 4,000 and 10,000 unit vials as we cannot use Procrit and Retacrit interchangeably in Cerner.
PROCRIT Dose
|
Dispense *Dose available in dialysis pyxis
|
2,000 units
|
One 2,000 units/mL vial*
|
4,000 units
|
One 4,000 units/mL vial*
|
6,000 units
|
IV: Three 2,000 units/mL vials*
|
Subcutaneous: PREPARE syringe using 40,000 units/mL vial(use RETACRIT)
|
8,000 units
|
Two 4,000 units/mL vials*
|
10,000 units
|
One 10,000 units/mL vial*
|
12,000 units
|
One 10,000 units/mL vial + one 2,000 units/mL vial*
|
14,000 units
|
One 10,000 units/mL vial + one 4,000 units/mL vial*
|
16,000 units
|
IV: One 10,000 units/mL vial + one 4,000 units/mL vial + one 2,000 units/mL vial*
|
Subcutaneous: PREPARE syringe using 40,000 units/mL vial(use RETACRIT)
|
18,000 units
|
IV: One 10,000 units/mL vial + two 4,000 units/mL vial*
|
Subcutaneous: PREPARE syringe using 40,000 units/mL vial(use RETACRIT)
|
20,000 units
|
Two 10,000 units/mL vials*
|
>22,000 units to 38,000 units
|
PREPARE syringe using 40,000 unit/mL vial (use RETACRIT)
|
40,000 units
|
One 40,000 units/mL vial (use RETACRIT)
|
Please let me know if you have any questions or experience any issues.
Thanks,