At any time, around the world, there are millions of patients with unmet medical needs. Unlicensed medicines are those sourced specifically for patients for whom there are no suitable licensed medication – either because existing formulations or presentations are unsuitable or because, for some reason, a licensed medication is not available in his or her location.

Unsuitable formulations or Dosage form

There are many reasons why an existing formulation or dosage form may not be suitable for a specific patient and these can all usually be overcome by sourcing an unlicensed medicine through a regulatory Compliant and Quality assured supplier, such as IPS:

  • Allergies

    The patient may be allergic to conventional ingredients so the medicine can be reformulated using ingredients that will not cause an allergic reaction;

  • Ingestion problems

    The patient may not be able to ingest the medication in its commercially available form so a more suitable presentation can be formulated;

  • Unpalatability

    Some medications may be unpalatable to certain patients, especially children, so additives can be incorporated to make the taste more pleasant and acceptable to increase compliance;

  • Dosage strength

    The strength of a commercially available medication may not be appropriate for a specific patient, such as an infant, so dosage strength can be tailored to need;

Lack of availability

There are many reasons why a new or existing formulation or presentation may not be available at point of need. These access challenges can be overcome by working with a reputable supplier of unlicensed medicines such as IPS Pharma:

    • Medicine shortages

      If a licensed medicine cannot be sourced from anywhere else around the world, we may be able to resolve the supply issue by providing access to an alternative unlicensed medicine;

    • Discontinuations or market withdrawals

      Sometimes a manufacturer decides to withdraw from a certain territory or discontinue production of a previously licensed medicine. We would first look for a licensed alternative, if none were available we would meet the needs of specific patients through the provision of an unlicensed medicine;

    • Phased or non-global launches

      If a new medicine is not yet commercially available, but there is patient demand that needs to be met, we can manage access to it on an unlicensed basis;

We can provide Healthcare Professionals, Pharmaceutical Companies, Patients and Pharmaceutical Wholesalers with ethical, compliant and timely access to high quality medicines that are unlicensed or unavailable at the point of care ­– either by sourcing a licensed alternative or through bespoke or small batch manufacturing.

In line with professional guidance from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, our first response to a request for help, to meet the unmet medical need of a specific patient, will always be to attempt to provide appropriate licensed alternatives. In the exceptional case when this is not possible we will initiate the sourcing or manufacture of an unlicensed medicine.

SOURCING

If a specific patient is prescribed a medicine that is not currently licensed in the UK, our first response is to access our global network of suppliers to see if it is licensed in any other countries. If it is, we can source it from abroad and meet the patient’s need by supplying it as an unlicensed import.

To help make sure the patient complies with his or her prescription, we also offer an English over-labelling service and we can supply patient information leaflets translated into English.

MANUFACTURING

We offer an extensive product portfolio with the ability to in-house manufacture unlicensed medicines in a range of formulations:

  • Oral liquids

    Suspensions, Solutions, Mixtures, Syrups, Elixir, Emulsions

  • Topical preparations

    Ointments, Creams, Gels, Pastes

  • External Liquids

    Coal Tar preparations, Mouthwashes, Lotions

Further products can be developed, tested & supplied upon customer request. We can manufacture these products in various volumes, strengths and dosage forms to meet the precise requirements of the patient.

Recent investment in our manufacturing facility has delivered enhanced cytotoxic facilities enabling the safe and compliant production of cancer medication.

We also possess a Wholesalers license and a Wholesalers Distribution Authorisation (Human) license that enables us to supply a range of unlicensed stock items:

  • Sterile and Non-Sterile products

    Eye drops, Eye ointments, Oral liquids

  • Oral solids

    Tablets, Capsules

  • Other products

    Nasal drops, Rectal solutions, Suppositories

SERVICE

NVQ

Our customer service department has NVQ 2, NVQ 3 level qualified, Pharmacy trained staff

5pm

order deadline for next day delivery by 12 pm in the UK*

8am to 8pm

Customer service telephone lines open from 8 am to 8 pm weekdays BST (GMT)

24/7

Online Ordering System

*Scotland, Northern Ireland and International timings may differ

Our renowned quality of service is supported by the experience and expertise of our customer service team: providing a wellspring of guidance and advice; answering queries; providing alternative solutions; as well as processing your orders accurately and efficiently.

Our processes and systems are designed to make your working life as easy as possible:

  • Choose the ordering method that suits you best – phone, fax, email or online;

  • Take advantage of a 5pm UK TIME cut-off for next day delivery, phone lines are opened from 8am-8pm Weekdays UK TIME and 24/7 online access to MyIPS;

  • Increase efficiency with endorsement stickers and COC documentation that are supplied with every order in the UK;

We can provide Healthcare Professionals, Pharmaceutical Companies, Patients and Pharmaceutical Wholesalers with ethical, compliant and timely access to high quality medicines that are unlicensed or unavailable at the point of care ­– either by sourcing a licensed alternative or through bespoke or small batch manufacturing.

In line with professional guidance from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, our first response to a request for help, to meet the unmet medical need of a specific patient, will always be to attempt to provide appropriate licensed alternatives. In the exceptional case when this is not possible we will initiate the sourcing or manufacture of an unlicensed medicine.

SOURCING

If a specific patient is prescribed a medicine that is not currently licensed in the UK, our first response is to access our global network of suppliers to see if it is licensed in any other countries. If it is, we can source it from abroad and meet the patient’s need by supplying it as an unlicensed import.

To help make sure the patient complies with his or her prescription, we also offer an English over-labelling service and we can supply patient information leaflets translated into English.

MANUFACTURING

We offer an extensive product portfolio with the ability to in-house manufacture unlicensed medicines in a range of formulations:

  • Oral liquids

    Suspensions, Solutions, Mixtures, Syrups, Elixir, Emulsions

  • Topical preparations

    Ointments, Creams, Gels, Pastes

  • External Liquids

    Coal Tar preparations, Mouthwashes, Lotions

Further products can be developed, tested & supplied upon customer request. We can manufacture these products in various volumes, strengths and dosage forms to meet the precise requirements of the patient.

Recent investment in our manufacturing facility has delivered enhanced cytotoxic facilities enabling the safe and compliant production of cancer medication.

We also possess a Wholesalers license and a Wholesalers Distribution Authorisation (Human) license that enables us to supply a range of unlicensed stock items:

  • Sterile and Non-Sterile products

    Eye drops, Eye ointments, Oral liquids

  • Oral solids

    Tablets, Capsules

  • Other products

    Nasal drops Rectal solutions, Suppositories

SERVICE

NVQ

Our customer service department has NVQ 2, NVQ 3 level qualified, Pharmacy trained staff

5pm

order deadline for next day delivery by 12 pm in the UK*

8am to 8pm

Customer service telephone lines open from 8 am to 8 pm weekdays BST (GMT)

24/7

Online Ordering System

*Scotland, Northern Ireland and International timings may differ

Our renowned quality of service is supported by the experience and expertise of our customer service team: providing a wellspring of guidance and advice; answering queries; providing alternative solutions; as well as processing your orders accurately and efficiently.

Our processes and systems are designed to make your working life as easy as possible:

  • Choose the ordering method that suits you best – phone, fax, email or online;

  • Take advantage of a 5pm UK TIME cut-off for next day delivery, phone lines are opened from 8am-8pm Weekdays UK TIME and 24/7 online access to MyIPS;

  • Increase efficiency with endorsement stickers and COC documentation that are supplied with every order in the UK;

Introducing
ourselves

Get to know IPS Pharma with our two-minute video.

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Introducing
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