Products Affected – Description

Discontinued:

Sodium fluoride 0.5 mg chewable tablets, 1000-count (NDC 52152-0127-05), Actavis – discontinued
Sodium fluoride 1 mg chewable tablets, 1000-count (NDC 52152-0128-05), Actavis – discontinued
Reason for the Shortage: Actavis has discontinued their fluoride chewable tablets due to manufacturing problems.

Luride 0.25 mg chewable tablets, 120-count (NDC 00126-0186-21), Colgate – discontinued
Luride 0.5 mg chewable tablets, 120-count (NDC 00126-0014-21), Colgate – discontinued
Luride 1 mg chewable tablets, 120-count (NDC 00126-0006-21), Colgate – discontinued
Reason for the Shortage. Colgate has discontinued all its Luride chewable tablets. The company would not provide a reason for the discontinuation.

Pharmaflur 1 mg chewable tablets, 120-count (NDC 00813-0067-12), Pharmics – discontinued
Pharmaflur 1.1 mg chewable tablets, 120-count (NDC 00813-0065-12), Pharmics – discontinued
Pharmaflur 2.2 mg chewable tablets, 120-count (NDC 00813-0066-12), Pharmics – discontinued
Reason for the Shortage. Pharmics has discontinued Pharmaflur chewable tablets for unknown reasons.

Other:

Ethedent 0.25 mg chewable tablets, 120-count (NDC 58177-0432-40), Ethex
Ethedent 0.5 mg chewable tablets, 120-count (NDC 58177-0433-40), Ethex
Ethedent 0.5 mg chewable tablets, 1000-count (NDC 58177-0433-09), Ethex
Ethedent 1 mg chewable tablets, 120-count (NDC 58177-0434-40), Ethex
Ethedent 1 mg chewable tablets, 1000-count (NDC 58177-0434-09), Ethex
Estimated Resupply Dates: Ethex has all presentations on back order with no estimated release date.

Fluor-A-Day 0.25 mg chewable tablets, 120-count (NDC 51817-0602-16), Pharmascience
Fluor-A-Day 0.5 mg chewable tablets, 120-count (NDC 51817-0611-16), Pharmascience
Fluor-A-Day 1 mg chewable tablets, 120-count (NDC 51817-0622-16), Pharmascience
Estimated Resupply Dates: Pharmascience has Fluor-A-Day chewable tablets on back order. The company estimates release dates of late-February, 2009 for the 0.25 mg chewable tablets, late-March, 2009 for the 0.5 mg tablets, and late-February, 2009 for the 1 mg tablets.

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See also:

JAN 2009 – NY:
“This year, one of the companies that makes the fluoride vitamins stopped making them, and that caused a months-long diminishing of supply, says a CVS pharmacist who is not allowed by the company to be quoted officially.”

JAN 2009 – AUSTRALIA:
“Colgate’s chief dental officer had recommended the supply be stopped on December 1 to avoid the risk of children developing dental fluorosis – a condition caused by a fluoride overdose.”

JAN 2008 – CALIFORNIA:
“California Department of Public Health (CDPH), Health and Human Services Agency to health providers recommending the suspension of prescription fluoride supplements for at least one year in areas served by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD).”

2007 – CANADA:
Voluntary Recall of One Lot of Fluotic® (sodium fluoride) 20 mg tablets and Notice of Product Discontinuation: “In in-vitro tests, the disintegration time of some tested samples in gastric fluid-like solution was faster than usual.“

AUG 2004 – AUSTRALIA:
“the shortage of fluoride tablets in pharmacies arises from manufacturing and supply difficulties and/or from Therapeutics Goods Administration requirements for their importation.”

JULY 2004 – AUSTRALIA:.
Redland Shire: Fluoride tablets issued free to all children under 12 years of age since 1970. “Since July 1998, Redland Water has provided the budget for payment of the tablets. When the Customer Service Centres opened in early 1996, issuing of fluoride tablets was handed over to them, with payment by Redland Water.”

OCT 2002 – PENNSYLVANIA:
Shamokin Area School Board voted Tuesday night to discontinue the distribution of fluoride tablets to students.