Domperidone: new contraindication in patients with phaeochromocytoma due to the risk of severe hypertension
Read and act on the official notice on GOV.UK
In plain English, for the pharmacy team
Why is this relevant to community pharmacy
Domperidone is an anti-sickness medicine used in adults and some young people. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) says it must not be used in people with confirmed or suspected phaeochromocytoma, a rare adrenal gland tumour, because it can cause severe high blood pressure. This matters when supplying domperidone from pharmacy stock and when speaking to patients who may already be taking it.
What to tell patients
Use your professional judgement for each patient.
- Stop taking domperidone immediately if you have been diagnosed with phaeochromocytoma by your doctor. Speak to your doctor or pharmacist about alternative treatment options.
- Get medical help immediately if you have symptoms of severe high blood pressure, such as a persistent headache, blurred vision, shortness of breath or chest pain.
- Report suspected side effects of domperidone using the Yellow Card scheme.
What needs to be done
- Do not supply domperidone to anyone with confirmed or suspected phaeochromocytoma.
- Pharmacists: if a patient with confirmed or suspected phaeochromocytoma is taking domperidone, stop it immediately and arrange an alternative treatment.
- Pharmacists: be aware that domperidone can unmask phaeochromocytoma; if a patient taking it has severe high blood pressure, consider further investigation for phaeochromocytoma.
- Report suspected side effects linked to domperidone using the Yellow Card scheme.
- Read and act on the official GOV.UK notice.
Pharmshark summary, checked and approved by Chris Dotchin on 2 Nov 2026. It is not the official notice: always read and act on the GOV.UK notice.
How this summary was written
An AI tool drafted it from the MHRA's own notice and nothing else. A second check compared every line with the notice. Pharmshark's clinical lead then read it against the notice, edited it where needed and approved it. If the MHRA changes the notice, this summary is taken down until it has been checked again.
The MHRA's summary
The product information has been updated for all domperidone products, to include a contraindication for patients with confirmed or suspected phaeochromocytoma (a rare tumour of the adrenal gland), due to the risk of episodes of severe hypertension.
MHRA's audience tags: Cardiovascular disease lipidology, Emergency medicine, Endocrinology diabetology metabolism, General practice, Gi hepatology pancreatic disorders, Haematology, Pharmacy