What is the spinal bupivacaine shortage right now?
Spinal bupivacaine in dextrose is a mixed-supply category. Among Pfizer's listed NDCs, status differs by NDC, and another manufacturer's product is under an all-lots recall. Pfizer's April 2 letter says emergency dating was sought to mitigate shortages of both products, and its Sept. 1 letter repeats that wording for Bupivacaine Spinal. An available listing on one NDC therefore does not show a normal market.
- Marcaine Spinal, carton of 10 (NDC 0409-1761-10): FDA's shortage data, updated Oct. 21, lists it as Unavailable, with next delivery and estimated recovery in December 2026. Pfizer's Oct. 29 availability report lists it as Depleted, with next delivery 12/2026 and recovery 4Q 2026.
- Bupivacaine Spinal, carton of 10 (NDC 0409-3613-01): FDA's data and Pfizer's report both list it as available. Neither speaks to allocation, or to whether buyers can get it at normal volume.
- Huons bupivacaine in dextrose: Huons began a voluntary recall of all lots within expiry on April 2, 2026. FDA lists NDC 73293-0002-2 as Unavailable with recovery TBD, in a row last updated July 30, so that entry may lag.
December is not the date product reaches a facility. Pfizer's report defines next delivery as arrival at Pfizer's distribution center and says full recovery may depend on market dynamics. Its status text for the Marcaine carton says Pfizer is depleted with no current shipments to wholesalers, and it directs buyers to ask wholesalers about remaining inventory. Some channel stock may therefore exist now, and it can differ by wholesaler.
Is Marcaine Spinal discontinued, or just difficult to source?
Neither FDA's shortage data nor Pfizer's Oct. 29 report lists Marcaine Spinal or Bupivacaine Spinal as discontinued. Pfizer's Oct. 15 discontinuation letter lists older Marcaine vial NDCs, and no spinal NDC appears in it. The Marcaine Spinal carton also carries a listed next delivery date.
That distinction matters when a search turns up the Marcaine name on a discontinuation notice. Buyers should confirm the exact NDC on the letter before treating a spinal item as withdrawn. The accurate reading today is that one Marcaine Spinal carton is depleted at the manufacturer with a listed next delivery date, while other NDCs show different statuses.
What is causing it?
For Marcaine Spinal 0409-1761-10, the FDA record states "Shortage per Manufacturer: Manufacturing Delay," and its structured reason field says only "Other." That is the manufacturer's stated reason. No more specific root cause is public, and this article does not suggest one.
The Huons recall has its own stated reason. FDA's record gives lack of assurance of sterility, and FDA's page on the related Medline kits says Huons recalled after an FDA facility inspection found quality problems.
No source reviewed links the Huons recall to Pfizer's shortage or to Pfizer's extended dating. This article treats them as separate events. Buyers need to check both because they touch the same product category.
Which products and presentations are affected?
Marcaine Spinal and Bupivacaine Spinal are labeled at the same strength and concentration, 0.75% in dextrose 8.25%, 15 mg/2 mL, per the Marcaine Spinal and Bupivacaine Spinal labels. That is a labeling fact, not a substitution recommendation.
| Product | NDC | Manufacturer | Status as of date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marcaine Spinal 0.75% (15 mg/2 mL) in dextrose 8.25%, carton of 10 | 0409-1761-10 | Hospira, a Pfizer company | Unavailable in FDA data updated Oct. 21, 2026. Depleted in Pfizer's Oct. 29, 2026 report. Next delivery December 2026. |
| Bupivacaine Spinal 0.75% (15 mg/2 mL) in dextrose 8.25%, carton of 10 ampules | 0409-3613-01 | Hospira, a Pfizer company | Available in FDA data updated Oct. 21, 2026. Supply Available in Pfizer's Oct. 29, 2026 report. Four lots carry extended dating. |
| Marcaine Spinal 15 mg/2 mL, case of 800 ampules | 0409-1761-62 | Hospira, a Pfizer company | Available in FDA data updated Oct. 21, 2026. Not in Pfizer's Oct. 29, 2026 report, so the status rests on FDA data alone. Not confirmed as a practical option. |
| Huons bupivacaine 0.75% in dextrose 8.25% | 73293-0002-1, 73293-0002-2 | Huons | Recall D-0530-2026, shown as ongoing in FDA data read Oct. 30, 2026. 73293-0002-2 is Unavailable, recovery TBD, in FDA data updated July 30, 2026. |
| Brookfield-distributed bupivacaine in dextrose, covered by the same recall | 71351-022-02, 71351-022-10, 71351-022-50 | Made by Huons, per the recall record | Recall D-0530-2026, all lots within expiry, as read Oct. 30, 2026. |
| B. Braun bupivacaine HCl 0.75% in dextrose 8.25% | 0264-9379-88 | B. Braun; made by Solupharm in Germany | No FDA shortage row found as of Oct. 30, 2026. Availability unconfirmed. The label version is dated May 2025. Not the Huons ampule inside B. Braun's recalled kits. |
Extended-dated lots
FDA approved Pfizer's emergency request to extend use dates for specific spinal lots, per Pfizer's April 2 letter and FDA's list. The dates apply only to the lots named.
| Lot | Product and NDC | Extended date | Note as of Oct. 30, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| GH4433 | Marcaine Spinal, 0409-1761-10 | Oct. 1, 2026 | Date has passed. |
| GY7951 | Marcaine Spinal, 0409-1761-62 | Feb. 1, 2027 | Not named in Pfizer's Sept. 1 return guidance. |
| LD2831, LD2832, LD2855, LE2563 | Bupivacaine Spinal, 0409-3613-01 | Feb. 28, 2027 | Named in Pfizer's Sept. 1 return guidance. |
Pfizer's Sept. 1 letter gives return or on-site destruction instructions, with credit, for the four Bupivacaine Spinal lots if replacement product becomes available during the extension period. The options are prepaid return to Inmar, where credit processing may take up to four weeks, or on-site destruction with a signed certificate form. The letter does not list the Marcaine Spinal lots, and it does not say replacement product is available.
Spinal kits containing the Huons product
The Huons recall itself is Class II, covering about 3.26 million ampules distributed across the United States. Kits containing the product have been placed in FDA's most serious recall category, and the instructions differ by kit maker:
- B. Braun. FDA's page, current as of July 16, says PENCAN, Spinocan, and Spinocan Spinal Tray kits must be quarantined and returned. It says B. Braun had reported 35 serious injuries and no deaths as of April 24.
- Medline. FDA's page, current as of June 12, describes a correction: quarantine affected kits until over-labels arrive, then remove and discard the bupivacaine component. Other kit components may still be used. It reports no serious injuries or deaths as of April 10.
Those counts are dated figures from FDA's pages, not current totals.
How is this affecting healthcare buyers and facilities?
- NDC-level setup work. Contracts, order guides, and item masters tied to the Marcaine carton may need another NDC set up, after clinical review, before on-hand stock runs out.
- Lot-level inventory work. Spinal stock now has to be read by lot as well as NDC. GH4433 has passed its extended date, and the other named lots reach their limits in February 2027.
- Kit exposure outside the pharmacy view. Surgery centers and procedure areas that buy spinal trays may hold the recalled bupivacaine inside a kit, where a drug-level search may not surface it.
- Date uncertainty. December 2026 is an inbound date for Pfizer's distribution center. It does not tell a facility when its own wholesaler will fill an order.
- Thin public detail. FDA's shortage data can lag, and openFDA's disclaimer tells users to assume its records are unvalidated. Wholesaler stock can differ from either the FDA or Pfizer listing.
What should facilities do when supply is tight?
- Manage the category by NDC. Check 0409-1761-10 and 0409-3613-01 separately rather than searching on "bupivacaine" or "Marcaine."
- Ask wholesalers directly. Pfizer points buyers to wholesalers for remaining Marcaine Spinal inventory. Ask about lot dating on any Bupivacaine Spinal received as well, since public sources do not say whether extended-dated lots make up current stock.
- Audit on-hand lots. Compare stock against FDA's extended use date list. Refer any remaining GH4433 to pharmacy leadership for review under facility policy.
- Read the return guidance by lot. Pfizer's Sept. 1 route names only the four Bupivacaine Spinal lots. Ask Pfizer about GH4433 and GY7951 rather than assuming the same credit applies.
- Screen trays and kits. Check kit SKUs and lots against the FDA notices and the Huons and Brookfield NDCs, then follow the kit maker's instructions.
- Confirm before planning around another label. B. Braun 0264-9379-88 has no FDA shortage row that we found, but no row is not proof of supply. Confirm availability with B. Braun, and keep this label separate from the recalled B. Braun kits. The same caution applies to the case of 800 Marcaine Spinal.
- Keep substitution with clinical teams. Any product or technique change belongs to pharmacy, anesthesia, and surgical leadership and the P&T committee, checked against current labeling. Purchasing should not make that call on name or concentration alone.
- Avoid panic buying. Spot accumulation in a tight category can leave a facility holding short-dated stock it may later need to return or destroy.
Where can buyers monitor supply information through PRN?
Start with the Drug Shortage News hub for market context and PRN's drug shortage index for broader category tracking. High-Demand Products can show adjacent pressure points, and the FAQ covers quick operational questions. The Marcaine Spinal 0409-1761-10 and Bupivacaine Spinal 0409-3613-01 product pages are reference points for the exact package, not statements that an item is in stock.
For primary status, use Pfizer's availability report and FDA's shortage data. In FDA's data, the spinal rows sit under the generic name Bupivacaine Hydrochloride Injection, and openFDA generic-name searches for "bupivacaine spinal" or "bupivacaine in dextrose" return nothing. A missing result on those terms, or a missing row for a given label, does not prove normal supply.
If your facility needs sourcing support for a specific NDC, use Request a Custom Quote. New licensed facilities can start through customer onboarding, and teams that want background on PRN's support model can review Who We Are.
Need help sourcing spinal bupivacaine by NDC? Use Request a Custom Quote for shortage-related sourcing support and planning, or start customer onboarding if your facility needs a purchasing account.
Important note: This article is intended for general informational and procurement reference only. It is not medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Facilities should confirm current shortage status, recall scope, lot dating, labeling, and purchasing decisions through current manufacturer, distributor, FDA, pharmacy, and institutional review channels before acting.