Discontinuation of memantine standard release and its impact on patient therapy.

The recently announced discontinuation of Namenda (memantine HCl) and consequent shortage of Namenda XR (memantine HCl extended-release) is a matter that affects physicians, patients with Alzheimer's disease, caregivers, and consultant pharmacists. The manufacturer's announcement to discontinue standard-release product came eight months after the extended-release formulation became available in June 2013. The manufacturer planned to discontinue the standard-release tablets to focus on XR capsules by August 2014, giving patients and their caregivers-who prefer immediate-release formulations-no other options except the oral solution formulation. This article updates pharmacists with the current development on the various pharmacy and therapeutic issues on memantine products. Consultant pharmacists play an important role in educating prescribers and caregivers of the recent changes on this matter. They shall help to ensure proper dosage switching among various formulations. Consultant pharmacists can also help caregivers to identify the most cost-effective options when generic memantine becomes available in the future.