Q: I have a prescription for sodium feredetate 190mg/5ml oral solution, I would usually give Sytron but the bottle states 207.5mg/5ml sodium feredetate trihydrate, what should I give?

A: Numark Information Services has received several recent queries relating to prescriptions requesting generic sodium feredetate 190mg/5ml oral solution sugar free.

Sodium feredetate is available as both the branded product Sytron and a generic product manufactured by Concordia International. At the time of writing this tariff tip (January 2018) only the Sytron brand is currently available.

Both of these products are recognised by the NHS as meeting the generic description Sodium feredetate 190mg/5ml oral solution sugar free, and NHSBSA will currently remunerate pharmacies for supply of either product. However the Sytron product contains sodium feredetate trihydrate 207.5mg/5ml, raising concerns that supplying Sytron would constitute a dispensing error.

The NHS does not recognise the generic description of sodium feredetate trihydrate 207.5mg/5ml preventing the prescribing of Sytron generically.

Both the generic product and Sytron contain 27.5mg/5ml of elemental iron and would have an equivalent clinical effect.

In order to avoid any ambiguity Numark members are encouraged to ask prescribers to amend prescriptions requesting generic sodium feredetate 190mg/5ml oral solution sugar free to read Sytron to allow a legitimate supply of Sytron.

Both generic sodium feredetate and Sytron are currently remunerated at the same basic price of £14.95/500ml[1]  so prescription amendments will not increase the overall cost to the NHS.

Prescription RequestsDrug Tariff ListingProduct DispensedAdvice
Sodium feredetate 190mg/5ml oral solution sugar free Sodium feredetate 190mg/5ml oral solution sugar free Sytron (Sodium feredetate trihydrate 207.5mg/5ml oral solution sugar free) No, potential dispensing error
Sodium feredetate 190mg/5ml oral solution sugar free Sodium feredetate 190mg/5ml oral solution sugar free Generic Sodium feredetate 190mg/5ml oral solution sugar free Yes
Sytron 500ml Sodium feredetate 190mg/5ml oral solution sugar free Sytron 500ml Yes
Sodium feredetate trihydrate 207.5mg /5ml oral solution Sodium feredetate 190mg/5ml oral solution sugar free Sytron Rx to be changed to Sytron


[1] England and Wales Drug Tariff January 2018