Background
• The manufacture by Roche of the Vitamin K1 preparation for oral administration (Konakion 10mg tablets) ceased in September 2009.
• Some hospital pharmacies and accident & emergency departments may still hold non-expired stock, though supplies are dwindling.
• There is NO other oral Vitamin K1 preparation manufactured in the UK at present.
• There is a Vitamin K3 preparation available (Menadione) but this requires biotransformation, is ineffective for management of coumarin type anticoagulant toxicity and should not be recommended.
Alternative sources of Vitamin K1 tablets
• There is a French oral preparation available from Laboratoire TVM, called “VITAMINE K1 COMPRIMES TVM”.
• This appears to be formulated as 50mg tablets, packaged in boxes of 7 tablets.
• This product could be imported under the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) Special Import Certificate (“SIC”) system.
• On-line SIC applications can be made by clicking here for a link to the VMD website.
• Phone advice can be obtained from the Veterinary Medicines Directorate Licensing Services Section.
Tel: 44 (0) 1932 336911.
• Several veterinary wholesaler companies have successfully applied to the VMD for Wholesalers Dealers Import Certificates (WDICs). UK veterinary practices should therefore be able to obtain supplies of the preparation through them. See below.
Suppliers with WDICs to supply “VITAMINE K1 COMPRIMES TVM”
Centaur Services
Tel: 01963 350005
Fax: 01963 351161
Email: enquiries@cvws.co.uk
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Address:Centaur House, Torbay Road, Castle Cary, Somerset, BA7 7EU
National Veterinary Supplies Ltd.
Tel: 01782 771100
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Address: Unit 4, Jamage Industrial Estate, Talke Pits, Stoke-On-Trent, Staffordshire ST7 1XW
Veterinary Surgeons Supply Co.
Tel: 028 9267 4316
Fax: 028 9260 1658
Email: info@vssco.co.uk
Email orders: orders@vssco.co.uk
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Address: Enterprise Crescent, Ballinderry Road, Lisburn, Co. Antrim, BT28 2SA
Other useful numbers
Laboratoire TVM. 33 4 73 61 72 27
VMD (general) 01932 336911
VPIS 020 7188 0200 (Not available to members of the public)
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