Posted earlier about the unavailability of this med. Here is what I've learned so far.

Pharmacy said when they tried to order, they were told unavailable. Also, pharmacy said they had to send some back for recall. Doctor was called and he substituted "CARVEDILOL", which is another type of beta-blocker. Only, this drug require two doses per day and is 250% more expensive.

Called doctor and spoke to nurse and she indicated that is what he recommended so get over the inconvenience of twice a day and the extra expense. (I can resolve that issue with the doctor.)

Pharmacy called the drug company again this morning and they said they were trying to resume shipping of betaxolol on August 21st. They did not find out about recall or why drug is currently out of stock. My older and wiser pharmacist told me that sometimes these generics are manufactured out of the USA and have quality control issues.

Anyway, I've been taking this drug for over 15 years, along with three others and maintain a good and healthy blood pressure. Just PO'd that there was not any explanation for this drug's removal or discontinuance.

Thanks in advance for any information or guidance in to where to find additional information.

I too have been taking this medication for years, and it has allowed me to have a mostly normal life. My doctor prescribed metoprolol succinate as a substitute, and the results have been less than spectacular, and insurance does not cover it all. The pharmacist call the company that manufactures betaxolol and Kerlone (same company), and there were no answers as to when they would start shipping new batches. I was told that the New York FDA office issued a national recall for manufacturer and pharmacy lots but not for retail - whatever that means. There has been no official word about the recall on any site that I can find, and I find this troubling. Who knows the reason, but it must be significant enough that they would recall and keep it quiet. Thank you for posting your information.

The FDA after several days finally posted a notice on Betaxolol and other medications on their recall portion of their website. This is a "voluntary recall" on a pharmacy not consumer level (whatever that means). They directed me to the following manufacturer's website for further information: www.actavis.us/RecallFAQ
As a side note Actavis (the manufacturer) is also involved in a consumer related level recall of a generic drug Digitek (generic for Lanoxin). I take both... how safe are generics (makes you question the FDA testing processes).

Sorry I have not posted a follow up in a more timely manner.

On Monday (08/11/2008), my pharmacy called and informed me that the betaxolol (10mg) had been received in stock and they had re-filled my original prescription.

I picked it up that afternoon and they still did not know why it had been recalled and back-ordered.

As I believe I mentioned in a previous post, the elder pharmacist told me off the record, that many generics are manufactured out of the country (Mexico/Canada/India). He said that sometimes the dosage is "off" (being too strong or too weak) and that will prompt a recall of the brand.

Thanks to all who viewed and to those who replied.

Posted earlier about the unavailability of this med. Here is what I've learned so far.

Pharmacy said when they tried to order, they were told unavailable. Also, pharmacy said they had to send some back for recall. Doctor was called and he substituted "CARVEDILOL", which is another type of beta-blocker. Only, this drug require two doses per day and is 250% more expensive.

Called doctor and spoke to nurse and she indicated that is what he recommended so get over the inconvenience of twice a day and the extra expense. (I can resolve that issue with the doctor.)

Pharmacy called the drug company again this morning and they said they were trying to resume shipping of betaxolol on August 21st. They did not find out about recall or why drug is currently out of stock. My older and wiser pharmacist told me that sometimes these generics are manufactured out of the USA and have quality control issues.

Anyway, I've been taking this drug for over 15 years, along with three others and maintain a good and healthy blood pressure. Just PO'd that there was not any explanation for this drug's removal or discontinuance.

Thanks in advance for any information or guidance in to where to find additional information.
My husband, too, was discouraged that he cannot find Kerlone. He has taken it for twenty years. Where did you find it? We are in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Pharmacies we have checked so far have not restocked it.
Thanks.

Much to my surprise I went to refill my Kerlone RX, I was told it was currently unavailable and their supply was recalled. Can anyone get a straight answer somewhere. I've tried other beta blockers, but no other one agreed with me except kerlone, not even the generic equivalent. My pharmacist also suggested that it could have been made wrong, too strong or too weak, but I'd like to know the reason why, as I've been taking this drug for 20 plus years. Anyone try to contact Searle who makes Kerlone? Any further updates would be helpful. I wonder if the bottle I'm currently taking is recalled.

I finally found another US source of betaxolol at Aapex Pharmacy (http://www.aapexpharmacy.com). The tablets are manufactured by KVK-TECH in Pennsylvania. The pharmacist at Aapex called me the same day after placing the order online. He was able to call my doctor for me and obtain a prescription for the order, which I received three days later. I will test them tomorrow - hopefully with good results. If anyone else decides to try them, please post your experience with this manufacturer's product. I will post mine over the next few days.

My mailorder pharmacy, MEDCO, indicates it has neither Kerlone nor generic Betaxolol 10 mg tabs in stock due to the Aventis recall. But I pursued various leads and here's what I've learned. As indicated by others, Actavis makes both the branded Kerlone product for Sanofi-Aventis, and a generic version, at its Little Falls, NJ plant, which was subject to a much more general recall. Here is the FDA press release: Actavis Totowa Announces Voluntary Recall at the Retail Level of All Drug Products Manufactured at its Little Falls, New Jersey Facility (http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/actavis08_08.html) . Here is the Actavis press release: Frequently Asked Questions - Actavis Totowa Announces Voluntary Recall at the Retail Level of all Drug Products Manufactured at its Little Falls, New Jersey Facility (http://www.actavis.us/en/media%20center/newsroom/articles/recallfaq.html) .

Last Thursday, I emailed KVK Tech (at [email protected] ) in Newtown, PA, cited in an earlier answer, and asked about product availabilty. A couple hours later, a KVK executive, Mr. Murthy Vepuri (215-579-1842), phoned me. He indicated KVK has ample supply and is selling to numerous pharmacy chains, including, for instance, CVS and Wal-Mart, but that MEDCO refused to purchase from KVK at the same price that other pharmacies are paying. I assume this accounts for MEDCO's lack of inventory. Mr. Vepuri suggested that I alert MEDCO to KVK's willingness to supply the product, which I did with a MEDCO customer service representative later that day. She indicated she would consult with the ordering department and get back to me which I am still awaiting.

Anyone else encountering shortages at pharmacies might try this same approach using the above detailed information. At the moment, I'm reasonably optimistic.

Good luck.