Important Updates About Animal Drug Availability

It has come to our attention that several drugs frequently used in animals have been temporarily placed on backorder due to manufacturer supply and/or recall issues.

A limited number of lots produced by the manufacturer(s) have been voluntarily recalled as a precautionary measure because sterility quality assurance (QA) processes were not properly executed. No contamination has been identified in these products and, to our knowledge, no illnesses have been reported from their use.

If you purchased these drugs from ULAM, we will contact you directly if any of the lots you received were included in the recall. If you receive notification from either a third-party vendor or ULAM that the drugs you purchased have been recalled, we advise that you discard those products and DO NOT use them on animals.

For your convenience, a list of all lots included in this recall has been outlined in the table(s) below.

Please review the following information carefully to ensure that you have taken the necessary steps to minimize any potential impact(s) on your research studies:

• Carprofen (Rimadyl) injectable (both name brand and generic) was on backorder in early October. As of Tuesday, October 22, 2019, ULAM has Carprofen back in stock and available for purchase. Orders may be placed via the ULAM Non-Controlled Substances Purchase Request Form.
• Enrofloxacin injectable (generic) is currently on backorder. Please note that name brand Baytril (enrofloxin) is still available for purchase from the Bayer Company.
• Puralube sterile eye ointment is currently on backorder due to a manufacturer recall. We do not expect Puralube to be made available until approximately January 2020. This voluntary recall has also resulted in a shortage of other available alternatives. An acceptable alternative sterile eye ointment, Bausch & Lomb Sooth Ophthalmic Ointment, can be purchased over the counter at local pharmacies or within the U-M Hospital B2 Pharmacy. We recommend emailing the B2 Pharmacy at pharm-requisitions@med.umich.edu to check on product availability and any requisite accounting procedures (e.g., how to set up a shortcode for billing) prior to visiting in-person.

List of Recalled Drug Lots

Need Assistance?

If you are concerned about whether or not these recent drug shortages may affect your plans for treating the animals in your research program(s), please contact your ULAM Faculty Veterinarian to consult on alternative medication options.

Our veterinary faculty can work with your lab to determine acceptable alternative medications and provide veterinary approval for use of these drugs. If you don’t know your faculty veterinarian, please contact the ULAM Business Office at (734) 764-0277 or ulam-questions@umich.edu and your question will be routed appropriately.

We will continue to monitor this situation closely until it has been resolved. Additional updates will be posted on the Animal Care & Use Program website and in future Program communications.

To stay abreast of important changes, we also recommend that you bookmark and review the FDA’s Current and Resolved Drug Shortages and Discontinuations Reported to the FDA webpage (note: this page also includes information about controlled substances).

Additional Resources

• American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Current Drug Shortages webpage 
• FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) Information About Animal Drug Shortages webpage
• Sign up for Drug Shortage Email Notifications from the FDA
• Download the FDA's Drug Shortages mobile application:
  • iPhone/iOS devices (link will take you to the iTunes App Store)

Please don’t hesitate to contact your ULAM Faculty Veterinarian or the ULAM Business Office with any additional questions or concerns about how your research may be impacted by this drug shortage; we are happy to work with you to find the most efficient and effective solutions possible to continually support the animals in your studies.