Amoxicillin granules for oral liquid
On 1 July 2014, a new brand of Amoxicillin granules for oral liquid will be listed on the Pharmaceutical Schedule.
The new brand is Amoxicillin Actavis granules for oral liquid 125 mg per 5 ml, and Amoxicillin Actavis granules for oral liquid 250 mg per 5 ml. The new brand should be available for people to use by the second week of July. The current listed brand, Ospamox, will be delisted from the Pharmaceutical Schedule on 1 January 2015. However supplies of Ospamox may be exhausted prior to this date.
There are some differences between the Amoxicillin Actavis brand, and the Ospamox brand that you need to know:
- Amoxicillin Actavis granules for oral liquid must be discarded 10 days after it is first prepared. Ospamox must be discarded 14 days after it is first prepared.
- Amoxicillin Actavis granules for oral liquid require different amounts of water to prepare the medicine compared with Ospamox.
These differences are explained below:
| Water required to prepare Amoxicillin Actavis granules for oral liquid 125 mg per 5 ml |
Water required to prepare Ospamox Amoxicillin granules for oral liquid 125 mg per 5 ml |
Water required to prepare Amoxicillin Actavis granules for oral liquid 250 mg per 5 ml |
Water required to prepare Ospamox Amoxicillin granules for oral liquid 250 mg per 5 ml |
|---|---|---|---|
| 86 ml (discard 10 days after first being prepared) |
94 ml (discard 14 days after first being prepared) |
(discard 10 days after first being prepared) |
92 ml (discard 14 days after first being prepared) |
Further information about preparation and discard dates are available on the packaging of the medicine, and in the datasheets. Datasheets can be found on the Medsafe website www.medsafe.govt.nz(external link)
The Ministry of Health advise that Rheumatic Fever Programme Prevention Providers check their Standing Orders and Standard Operating Procedures to ensure these changes are reflected as appropriate.
Greg Williams
Senior Therapeutic Group Manager