Pharmaceutical company Clinect has told us that Catapres (clonidine) 150 microgram (mcg) tablets will be in shortage from December 2025 to April 2026 due to manufacturing issues.
Catapres is the only brand of clonidine 150 mcg tablets supplied in Australia. However, we expect the following 3 brands of 100 mcg clonidine tablets to remain available during the shortage of Catapres 150 mcg tablets:
- Catapres 100 mcg
- APO Clonidine 100 mcg
- Clonidine Lupin 100 mcg.
To help patients have continuous access to the medicine, especially considering the holiday season, we have made a Serious Scarcity Substitution Instrument (SSSI) that starts on 22 December 2025 and ends on 28 April 2026. The SSSI allows a pharmacist to dispense an equivalent quantity of clonidine 100 mcg tablets, if appropriate, without a new prescription.
Clonidine tablets are used for essential hypertension and renal hypertension. The 100 mcg tablets are also used for menopausal flushing and migraine prophylaxis. Clonidine is also used off-label for various conditions including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), chronic pain and cancer pain.
For detailed information about the shortage, the SSSI and important factors when considering a substitution, visit About the shortage of Catapres (clonidine) 150 mcg tablets.
For more information about SSSIs see Substituting scarce medicines and Serious Scarcity Substitution Instruments (SSSIs).