Australian diabetics complain of shortage of extended-release form of metformin

As the most prescribed medication for diabetes, metformin is under study for other uses such as to cut cancer-related death risk for post-menopausal women with the chronic ailment and to prolong life. However, there is a current shortage of a slow-release form of metformin in Australia.

Yahoo News reports that Diabex XR, the extended-release form of metformin, is in short supply, particularly in Western Australia. Desperate diabetic patients, particularly those with Type 2 diabetes, are calling Diabetes Australia in numbers to complain of difficulty filling their prescription.

According to Medical Observer and Pharmacy News, pharmaceutical industry publications, only four in 30 pharmacies have stock of the 500 or 1,000 milligrammes versions of Diabex XR. Manufacturers are reportedly struggling to meet the high demand for the drug.

A spokeswoman for Diabetes WA confirmed the shortage of Diabex XR and recommended consulting a GP for alternative medication. Metformin is a biguanide, a group of insulin tablets that helps lower blood sugar level by reducing the amount of stored glucose released by the liver, slowing the absorption of glucose from the intestine and helping the body become more sensitive for the insulin to work better.

Besides Diabex, the drug is also sold under the brands Diaformin, Formet, Glucohexal, Glucomet, Glucophase, Genrx metformin and Metformin-BC. It is prescribed to Type 2 diabetes patients, so it should not be taken by Type 1 diabetics whose ailment is well controlled by insulin.

It is also not to be taken by pregnant or breastfeeding women. Instead, insulin is prescribed during pregnancy.