Patient leaflets and SmPCs, drug interaction checker, official dosages and NHS pharmacy opening hours — all in one place.
Patient leaflets and SmPCs, drug interaction checker, official dosages and NHS pharmacy opening hours — all in one place.
The electronic medicines compendium (emc) no longer publishes a Summary of Product Characteristics for this product, which usually means it is no longer marketed in the UK. The patient leaflet below is kept for reference, but the product may not be available.
If you were prescribed this medicine, other products containing Carboprost tromethamine may still be available. Do not stop your treatment — ask your pharmacist or GP what to use instead.
for Therapeutic group* •
This medicine contains carboprost tromethamine, which belongs to a group of medicines called prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are produced naturally in your body and are very important for a variety of activities, including childbirth. After childbirth they make the womb contract and to help it stay contracted, which stops heavy bleeding from the womb. Hemabate given after childbirth increases the contraction of your womb which helps to control bleeding after delivery.
Therapeutic indications • •
Hemabate is a sterile solution for injection. It is available in ampoules and contains 250 mcg of the active ingredient, carboprost, per ml of solution. Hemabate is used to stop excessive bleeding in women who have just given birth, when bleeding is due to the womb failing to return to its normal size.
*
A therapeutic group is one in which a drug is classified depending on its actions and the part(s) of the body it affects.
Hemabate Sterile Solution Do not take Hemabate Hemabate is not suitable for all women. Your doctor may decide to give you a different medicine if any of these apply to you.
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You should not be given Hemabate
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It is not known if carboprost is excreted in human breast milk. As your own body produces prostaglandins during childbirth, Hemabate is not expected to cause any harm to your baby. It is not known what effects Hemabate has on your fertility. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking any medicine. Driving and using machines Do not drive, use any tools or operate machinery soon after receiving Hemabate as it may affect your ability to do so safely. Hemabate may make you lose consciousness, feel dizzy or drowsy. Hemabate contains sodium and benzyl alcohol. This medicine contains less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per ml of solution, that is to say essentially 'sodium-free'. This medicine contains 9.45 mg benzyl alcohol in each ampoule which is equivalent to 9.45 mg/ml. Benzyl alcohol may cause allergic reactions. Benzyl alcohol has been linked with the risk of severe side effects including breathing problems (called "gasping syndrome") in young children. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice if you are pregnant or breast‐feeding. This is because large amounts of benzyl alcohol can build-up in your body and may cause side effects (called "metabolic acidosis"). Ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice if you have a liver or kidney disease. This is because large amounts of benzyl alcohol can build-up in your body and may cause side effects (called "metabolic acidosis").
Hemabate Sterile Solution This product should be used only in hospitals and clinics with specialised units for pregnancy and childbirth. Medical staff should be available in the hospital at all times. Hemabate may be given by a doctor or a midwife. The staff will make sure that this medicine is used in the right way and at the right time. You should never be given Hemabate while you are pregnant, only after the birth. It must never be given by injection into a vein.
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If you get very bad sickness and diarrhoea, your doctor may delay the next injection of Hemabate, or may not give you any more doses. Your doctor will treat the symptoms that the Hemabate has caused. If you continue to bleed If you continue to bleed heavily after being given Hemabate you may be given other medicines to help control the bleeding. Your doctor or midwife will be watching you closely to help them decide whether Hemabate is working for you. If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. 4. Possible Side Effects Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects although not everybody gets them. •
•
Effects on your respiratory system and immune system: Hemabate can very occasionally cause serious breathing difficulties as well as asthma and wheezing. If you have any difficulty breathing after receiving Hemabate tell your doctor or midwife immediately. The benzyl alcohol in Hemabate solution can cause an allergic reaction in some people. If you suffer from wheezing together with any itching or swelling of the face or tongue tell your doctor or midwife immediately.
The following side effects are listed by frequency. Very common: may affect more than 1 in 10 people. These include: diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, increased body temperature. Common: may affect up to 1 in 10 people. These include: headache, flushing, hot flush, chills, coughing, bleeding from the uterus, retained placenta or membranes, and inflammation of the uterus. Uncommon: may affect up to 1 in 100 people. These include: septic shock, urinary tract infection, irregular sleep patterns or general feeling of drowsiness, dizziness, muscle contractions affecting your posture and positioning of the head, general muscle pain, pins and needles, abnormal taste, increased levels of sweating, chest discomfort, severe shortness of breath, asthma and general breathing difficulties such as rapid breathing or wheezing, general pain especially in regions such as the upper abdomen, back and pelvis, tenderness of the breasts, blurred vision, eye pain, dry mouth, hiccups, vertigo, ringing in the ears, increased heart rate, high blood pressure, vomiting blood, uterine rupture, uterine cervical laceration, fluid retention, general feeling of being unwell and injection site pain. Not known: frequency cannot be estimated from the available data. These include: a rare but severe form of hyperthyroidism, anxiety, nervousness, fainting, temporary loss of consciousness caused by a fall in blood pressure, palpitations, muscle spasm in the walls of the bronchioles, swelling of the throat, Page 4 of 11
choking sensation, nose bleeds, dry throat, infection affecting the nose sinuses and throat, retching, rash, muscle spasms, uncontrolled abnormal contraction or twitch of the eyelid, uterine disorder, chest pain, abnormal physical weakness or lack of energy, excessive thirst and hypersensitivity reactions (e.g. anaphylactic reaction, anaphylactic shock, anaphylactoid reaction, angioedema). Most effects are mild and short-lived and will wear off quickly after treatment. Reporting of side effects If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any
not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store. By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine. 5. How to store Hemabate Sterile Solution Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children. Do not use Hemabate after the expiry date which is stated on the carton and on the ampoule after EXP. Your pharmacist will check this before the injection is given. The expiry date refers to the last day of the month. Store in a refrigerator between 2 – 8°C. Your pharmacist will check the ampoules are still clear and colourless before use. Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help protect the environment.
Hemabate
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Store in a refrigerator at 2 – 8°C. Legal category POM Package quantities Pack containing 10 x 1 ml ampoules of Hemabate Sterile Solution 250 micrograms/ml. Further information Carboprost tromethamine stimulates the myometrium of the gravid uterus to contract in a manner that is similar to that observed in the term uterus during labour. Whether or not this action results from a direct effect of carboprost tromethamine on the myometrium has not been determined with certainty at this time. When Hemabate is given post-partum, the resulting myometrial contractions provide haemostasis at the site of placentation and hence prevent further blood loss. Product licence number PL 00057/1000 Marketing Authorisation Holder Pfizer Limited, Ramsgate Road, Sandwich, Kent CT13 9NJ, UK. Manufacturer Pfizer Service Company BV, Hermeslaan 11, 1932 Zaventem, Belgium. Date of Revision of the text 11/2025 Ref: HM 11_0
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What Hemabate contains The active substance in each ampoule is 250 mcg of carboprost. The other ingredients are sodium chloride (sodium content approximately 4.0 mg/ml), water for injections, tromethamine and a preservative, benzyl alcohol (9.45 mg/ml). Small amounts of hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide, (used to regulate the acidity or alkalinity of the solution) may also be present. What Hemabate looks like and contents of the pack Hemabate is a colourless solution available in glass ampoules containing 1 ml of solution. Hemabate comes in packs of two or ten ampoules. Not all pack sizes may be marketed. Marketing Authorisation Holder
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Pfizer Limited Ramsgate Road Sandwich, Kent CT13 9NJ UK Manufacturer Pfizer Service Company BV Hermeslaan 11 1932 Zaventem Belgium For more information about this medicine, please contact the local representative of the local Marketing Authorisation Holder: Medical Information Pfizer Limited Walton Oaks Dorking Road Tadworth Surrey KT20 7NS UK Telephone 01304 616161 This leaflet was last revised in 11/2025. Ref: HM 11_0
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…………………………………………………………………………………………. (perforation line)
PHYSICIAN LEAFLET HEMABATE® Sterile Solution (carboprost tromethamine) Presentation Colourless, sterile, aqueous solution containing carboprost tromethamine equivalent to carboprost 250 micrograms/ml. This medicine contains 9.45 mg benzyl alcohol in each ampoule which is equivalent to 9.45 mg/ml. This medicine also contains sodium chloride, sodium hydroxide, hydrochloric acid, tromethamine and water for injections. Uses Treatment of post-partum haemorrhage due to uterine atony and refractory to conventional methods of treatment with oxytocic agents and ergometrine used either alone or in combination. Conventional therapy should usually consist of 0.5 – 1 mg ergometrine with up to 50 units of oxytocin infused intravenously over periods of time from 20 minutes to 12 hours. The dosage and duration of administration should reflect the seriousness of the clinical situation. Dosage and administration Parenteral drug products should be inspected visually for particulate matter and discoloration prior to administration whenever solution and container permit. An initial dose of 250 micrograms (1.0 ml) of Hemabate should be administered as a deep intramuscular injection. If necessary, further doses of 250 micrograms may be administered at intervals of approximately 1.5 hours. In severe cases the interval between doses may be reduced at the discretion of the attending physician, but it should not be less than 15 minutes. The total dose of Hemabate should not exceed 2 mg (8 doses). Elderly:
Not applicable
Paediatric population:
Not applicable
Contraindications
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1. Hemabate should not be used where the patient is sensitive to carboprost tromethamine or to any of the excipients listed in section 6.1. 2. Acute pelvic inflammatory disease. 3. Patients with known active cardiac, pulmonary, renal, or hepatic disease. 4. Hemabate is contra-indicated in pregnancy. Special warnings and precautions for use Hemabate should be used by medically trained personnel and is available only to hospitals and clinics with specialised obstetric units where 24 hour resident medical cover is provided. Hemabate, as with other potent oxytocic agents, should be used only with strict adherence to recommended dosages. This preparation should not be used for induction of labour. Hemabate must not be given intravenously. Special caution is necessary in patients with history of asthma, hypo- or hypertension, cardiovascular, renal, or hepatic disease, glaucoma or raised intra-ocular pressure, anaemia, jaundice, diabetes, or epilepsy. Benefit/risk ratio should be assessed in patients with cardiovascular disease (risk of decreased blood pressure up to cardiovascular collapse, bradycardia), and in patients with a history of asthma (risk of bronchoconstriction) and pulmonary disease (possibility of decreased pulmonary blood flow and increased arterial pulmonary pressure). Very rare cases of cardiovascular collapse have been reported following the use of prostaglandins. This should always be considered when using Hemabate. Decreases in maternal arterial oxygen content have been observed in patients treated with carboprost tromethamine. A causal relationship to carboprost tromethamine has not been established, however, it is recommended that patients with pre-existing cardio-pulmonary problems receiving Hemabate are monitored during treatment and given additional oxygen if necessary. As with any oxytocic agent, Hemabate should be used with caution in patients with previously compromised (scarred) uteri. Prior treatment with, or concomitant administration of anti-emetics and antidiarrhoeal drugs significantly reduces the very high incidence of the gastrointestinal side effects common to all prostaglandins. Their use should be considered an integral part of the management of patients. Transient pyrexia that may be due to hypothalamic thermoregulation has been observed after intramuscular Hemabate. Temperature elevations exceeding 1.1 °C were observed in approximately one-eighth of patients who received the recommended dosage regimen but if not complicated by endometritis, the temperature elevation will usually return to normal within several hours of the last injection.
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Animal studies lasting several weeks at high doses have shown that prostaglandins of the E and F series can induce proliferation of bone. Such effects have also been noted in newborn infants who have received prostaglandin E1 during prolonged treatment. There is no evidence that short-term administration of Hemabate can cause similar bone effects. Benzyl alcohol: This medicine contains 9.45 mg benzyl alcohol in each ampoule which is equivalent to 9.45 mg/ml. Benzyl alcohol may cause allergic reactions. The preservative benzyl alcohol has been associated with serious adverse events, including the "gasping syndrome", and death in paediatric patients. The minimum amount of benzyl alcohol at which toxicity may occur is not known. The risk of benzyl alcohol toxicity depends on the quantity administered and the liver and kidneys' capacity to detoxify the chemical. Premature and low-birth weight infants may be more likely to develop toxicity. High volumes should be used with caution and only if necessary, especially in subjects with liver or kidney impairment because of the risk of accumulation and toxicity (metabolic acidosis). Sodium: This medicine contains less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per ml of solution, that is to say essentially 'sodium-free'. Effects on ability to drive and use machines No studies on the effects on the ability to drive and use machines have been performed. There have been reports of undesirable effects such as syncope, dizziness and somnolence which could impair the ability to drive or use machines. Therefore patients should refrain from driving until they know that Hemabate does not affect their ability to drive or use machines. Undesirable effects Hemabate can cause serious breathing difficulties as well as asthma and wheezing. Less frequent, but potentially more serious, adverse effects are elevated blood pressure, dyspnoea and pulmonary oedema. Other less serious adverse effects noted include chills, headache, diaphoresis, dizziness and injection site erythema and pain. Adverse drug reactions reported during clinical trials and post marketing experience are presented below. Very common: may affect more than 1 in 10 people. These include: Diarrhoea*, nausea*, vomiting*, body temperature increased.
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Common: may affect up to 1 in 10 people. These include: Headache*, flushing, hot flush, chills, cough, uterine haemorrhage, retained placenta or membranes, endometritis*. Uncommon: may affect up to 1 in 100 people. These include: Septic shock, urinary tract infection, sleep disorder, syncope vasovagal, dizziness*, dystonia, paraesthesia, somnolence, dysgeusia, vision blurred, eye pain, vertigo, tinnitus, tachycardia, hypertension, asthma, respiratory distress, dyspnoea, hyperventilation*, wheezing, hiccups, haematemesis, upper abdominal pain, dry mouth, hyperhidrosis, torticollis, back pain, myalgia, uterine rupture, uterine cervical laceration, pelvic pain*, breast tenderness, lethargy, chest discomfort, injection site pain. Not known: frequency cannot be estimated from the available data. Thyrotoxic crisis†, anxiety†, nervousness, syncope†, palpitations, bronchospasm, pharyngeal oedema†, choking sensation†, epistaxis†, dry throat, upper respiratory tract infection†, retching, rash†, muscle spasms, blepharospasm, uterine disorder, chest pain†, asthenia†, excessive thirst†, hypersensitivity reactions† (e.g. anaphylactic reaction, anaphylactic shock, anaphylactoid reaction, angioedema).
Hemabate Sterile Solution comes as solution. Always follow the dose your doctor or pharmacist has given you, and read the leaflet that comes with the medicine.
The active substance in Hemabate Sterile Solution is carboprost tromethamine.
This leaflet reproduces the patient information leaflet approved for Hemabate Sterile Solution, as published on the electronic medicines compendium (emc). The version printed inside your medicine’s packaging is the one that applies to you.
Whether a medicine is available over the counter or on prescription only depends on its licence. Check the leaflet, or ask your pharmacist — they can tell you straight away.
The text above reproduces the patient information leaflet approved for this medicine, restructured for easier reading.
Treatment of post-partum haemorrhage due to uterine atony and refractory to conventional methods of treatment with oxytocic agents and ergometrine used either alone or in combination.
Conventional therapy should usually consist of 0.5 - 1 mg ergometrine with up to 50 units of oxytocin infused intravenously over periods of time from 20 minutes to 12 hours. The dosage and duration of administration should reflect the seriousness of the clinical situation.
Parenteral drug products should be inspected visually for particulate matter and discoloration prior to administration whenever solution and container permit.
An initial dose of 250 micrograms (1.0 ml) of Hemabate should be administered as a deep intramuscular injection.
If necessary, further doses of 250 micrograms may be administered at intervals of approximately 1.5 hours. In severe cases the interval between doses may be reduced at the discretion of the attending physician, but it should not be less than 15 minutes. The total dose of Hemabate should not exceed 2 mg (8 doses).
Elderly: Not applicable
Paediatric population:: Not applicable
1. Hemabate should not be used where the patient is sensitive to carboprost tromethamine or to any of the excipients listed in section 6.1.
2. Acute pelvic inflammatory disease.
3. Patients with known active cardiac, pulmonary, renal, or hepatic disease.
4. Hemabate is contra-indicated in pregnancy.
Hemabate should be used by medically trained personnel and is available only to hospitals and clinics with specialised obstetric units where 24 hour resident medical cover is provided. Hemabate, as with other potent oxytocic agents, should be used only with strict adherence to recommended dosages.
This preparation should not be used for induction of labour.
Hemabate must not be given intravenously.
Special caution is necessary in patients with history of asthma, hypo- or hypertension, cardiovascular, renal, or hepatic disease, glaucoma or raised intra-ocular pressure, anaemia, jaundice, diabetes, or epilepsy.
Benefit/risk ratio should be assessed in patients with cardiovascular disease (risk of decreased blood pressure up to cardiovascular collapse, bradycardia), and in patients with a history of asthma (risk of bronchoconstriction) and pulmonary disease (possibility of decreased pulmonary blood flow and increased arterial pulmonary pressure).
Very rare cases of cardiovascular collapse have been reported following the use of prostaglandins. This should always be considered when using Hemabate.
Decreases in maternal arterial oxygen content have been observed in patients treated with carboprost tromethamine. A causal relationship to carboprost tromethamine has not been established, however, it is recommended that patients with pre-existing cardio-pulmonary problems receiving Hemabate are monitored during treatment and given additional oxygen if necessary.
As with any oxytocic agent, Hemabate should be used with caution in patients with previously compromised (scarred) uteri.
Prior treatment with, or concomitant administration of anti-emetics and antidiarrhoeal drugs significantly reduces the very high incidence of the gastrointestinal side effects common to all prostaglandins. Their use should be considered an integral part of the management of patients.
Transient pyrexia that may be due to hypothalamic thermoregulation has been observed after intramuscular Hemabate. Temperature elevations exceeding 1.1 °C were observed in approximately one-eighth of patients who received the recommended dosage regimen but if not complicated by endometritis, the temperature elevation will usually return to normal within several hours of the last injection.
Animal studies lasting several weeks at high doses have shown that prostaglandins of the E and F series can induce proliferation of bone. Such effects have also been noted in newborn infants who have received prostaglandin E1 during prolonged treatment. There is no evidence that short-term administration of Hemabate can cause similar bone effects.
Benzyl alcohol:
This medicine contains 9.45 mg benzyl alcohol in each ampoule which is equivalent to 9.45 mg/ml. Benzyl alcohol may cause allergic reactions.
The preservative benzyl alcohol has been associated with serious adverse events, including the “gasping syndrome”, and death in paediatric patients. The minimum amount of benzyl alcohol at which toxicity may occur is not known. The risk of benzyl alcohol toxicity depends on the quantity administered and the liver and kidneys' capacity to detoxify the chemical. Premature and low-birth weight infants may be more likely to develop toxicity. High volumes should be used with caution and only if necessary, especially in subjects with liver or kidney impairment because of the risk of accumulation and toxicity (metabolic acidosis).
Sodium:
This medicine contains less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per ml of solution, that is to say essentially 'sodium-free'.
As Hemabate can potentiate the effect of other oxytocics, concomitant use is not recommended.
Fertility
There are no clinical data on the effects of carboprost on fertility
Pregnancy
Studies in animals have shown reproductive toxicity and any dose which produces increased uterine tone could put the embryo or foetus at risk.
Benzyl alcohol can cross the placenta
Breast-feeding
There are no data on the excretion into breast milk for carboprost tromethamine
No studies on the effects on the ability to drive and use machines have been performed.
There have been reports of undesirable effects such as syncope, dizziness and somnolence which could impair the ability to drive or use machines.
Therefore patients should refrain from driving until they know that Hemabate does not affect their ability to drive or use machines.
The table below lists the adverse effects identified through clinical trials and post-marketing surveillance by System Organ Class (SOC) and frequency. Within each frequency grouping, adverse events are presented in order of decreasing seriousness. Frequencies are defined as: very common (≥ 1/10), common (≥ 1/100 to < 1/10), uncommon (≥ 1/1000 to < 1/100), rare (≥ 1/10,000 to < 1/1000), very rare (< 1/10,000), or not known (frequency cannot be estimated from the available data).
The adverse effects of Hemabate are generally transient and reversible on discontinuation of therapy. The most frequent adverse reactions observed are related to its contractile effect on smooth muscles.
In patients studied, approximately two-thirds (66%) experienced vomiting and diarrhoea, approximately one-third (33%) had nausea, one-eighth (12%) had a temperature increase greater than 1.1° C, and one-fourteenth (7%) experienced flushing.
MedDRA
System Organ Class
Frequency
Undesirable Effects
Infections and Infestations
Uncommon
Septic shock, Urinary tract infection
Common
Endometritis*
Immune system disorders
Not Known
Hypersensitivity reactions† (e.g. Anaphylactic reaction, Anaphylactic shock, Anaphylactoid reaction, Angioedema)
Endocrine disorders
Not Known
Thyrotoxic crisis†
Psychiatric disorders
Uncommon
Sleep disorder
Not Known
Anxiety†, Nervousness†
Nervous system disorders
Common
Headache*
Uncommon
Syncope vasovagal, Dizziness*, Dystonia, Paraesthesia, Somnolence, Dysgeusia, Lethargy
Not Known
Syncope†
Eye disorders
Uncommon
Vision blurred, Eye pain
Ear and labyrinth disorders
Uncommon
Vertigo, Tinnitus
Cardiac disorders
Uncommon
Tachycardia
Not Known
Palpitations†
Vascular disorders
Common
Flushing, Hot flush, Chills
Uncommon
Hypertension
Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders
Common
Cough
Uncommon
Asthma, Respiratory distress, Dyspnoea, Hyperventilation*,Wheezing, Hiccups
Not Known
Bronchospasm, Pharyngeal oedema, Choking sensation†, Epistaxis†, Dry throat†, Upper respiratory tract infection
Gastrointestinal disorders
Very common
Diarrhoea*, Nausea*, Vomiting*
Uncommon
Haematemesis, Abdominal pain upper, Dry mouth
Not Known
Retching†
Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders
Uncommon
Hyperhidrosis
Not Known
Rash†
Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders
Uncommon
Torticollis, Back pain, Myalgia,
Not Known
Muscle spasms, Blepharospasm†
Reproductive system and breast disorders
Common
Uterine haemorrhage, Retained placenta or membranes
Uncommon
Uterine rupture, Uterine cervical laceration, Pelvic pain*, Breast tenderness
Not Known
Uterine disorder
General disorders and administration site conditions
Uncommon
Chest discomfort, Injection site pain
Not Known
Chest pain†, Asthenia†, Excessive thirst†
Investigations
Very common
Body temperature increased
* Events reported for both intramuscular and intra-amniotic routes of administration are marked with an asterisk. All other events were reported only for the intramuscular route.
† Identified from post-marketing experience
Reporting of suspected adverse reactions
Reporting suspected adverse reactions after authorisation of the medicinal product is important. It allows continued monitoring of the benefit/risk balance of the medicinal product. Healthcare professionals are asked to report any suspected adverse reactions via the Yellow Card Scheme at: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store.
Treatment of overdosage must be symptomatic and supportive as clinical studies with prostaglandin antagonists have not progressed to the point where recommendations may be made.
If evidence of excessive side-effects appears, the frequency of administration should be decreased or administration discontinued.
Ask anything about Hemabate Sterile Solution. The assistant answers only from this leaflet — if the leaflet does not cover it, it will say so. It does not give medical advice.
Answers come from the patient leaflet published on the electronic medicines compendium (emc). They are not medical advice. Ask a pharmacist or your GP if you are unsure. For urgent help call NHS 111, or 999 in an emergency.
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