Product recallThere is a product recall of 0.075% Rugby Capsaicin Topical Cream due to potential problems with the product appearance. The affected batch number is 24-01307 with an expiry date of 01/2026. Check at home to see if you have received the affected product which you should return to your pharmacy. The 0.025% Capsaicin Topical Cream is unaffected. |
Capsaicin is a cream that is used to relieve pain caused by osteoarthritis, or nerve pain caused by shingles or diabetes (diabetic peripheral neuropathy). It's absorbed through the skin into the painful area and works by decreasing a natural substance in your body called substance P, that helps pass pain signals to the brain.
There are 2 strengths of capsaicin cream, which have different uses:
- 0.025% (Rugby brand, Zostrix® or Zo-Rub Osteo® ) is used to relieve pain in osteoarthritis.
- 0.075% (Rugby brand, Zostrix HP® or Zo-Rub HP®) is used to relieve nerve pain caused by shingles or diabetes (diabetic peripheral neuropathy).
Both strengths of capsaicin cream have also been used to relieve itching in palliative care.
August 2024: The funded brand of capsaicin is changingFrom August 2024, a new brand of capsaicin cream, Zo-Rub Osteo and Zo-Rub HP will be funded. These have the same active ingredient and work in the same way as Zostrix and Zostrix HP. Find out more about Zostrix and Zostrix HP supply issue(external link). |