Flecainide supply

[MisterMagoo]

I ordered my Flecainide 11 days ago and my online pharmacy, Lloydsdirect, has be unable to source any. They have suggested that I trudge around town looking for a pharmacy that has some in stock but I think if a national company can't get it's hands on any, what chance does an individual have? Luckily I ordered much too early by accident and have a month's supply still but I wondered if anyone else is running short and if there is a national problem

[CDreamer]

I have to say that Lloyds has not got a good reputation, our local Lloyds are useless and I just heard today they were taken over. I have no experience of the Direct service. If they cannot source Flecainide it may well be price related and it’s because they won’t pay the price if it is more than NHS repays them as they will make a loss. I’ve had a few difficulties with chain pharmacies and often finding a good, local independant pharmacy rather than a big chain is the way to go as they will often have multiple wholesale sources.

If there is a shortage of a drug then it is often on the NHS website - have you checked there?

[MisterMagoo in reply to CDreamer]

Thanks CD. No shortage reported on the NHS site and it appears that none else is having a problem. Upto now Lloydsdirect have been pretty good and I like the fact they email me when my next order is due and then deliver for free. Maybe time to start looking for a new dealer.

[jeanjeannie50]

I was always having problems with getting my medication through a local pharmacy. I wanted a specific brand as I have an allergy to the colouring in pills. Can't sleep at night if pills to be taken late in the day are coloured. Every time they had a prescription from me it was a big deal. I switched to Boots and now have no problems whatsoever.

Jean

[CDreamer in reply to jeanjeannie50]

And I had terrific problem with Boots and the pharmacist there told me to go to an independant because their supply of the drug was so erratic. My husband could only get Dabigatran through another chain in Devon - here there seems to be no problem but as we have found a really good local pharmacist we are sticking in the hope they won’t go out of business. There is a good local family owned chain here which also delivers.

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to CDreamer]

I like to have certain brands and stick to them Almus/Accord for my pills. I think pharmacies have contracts with some brands and once when I rang Accord about poor supply to my old pharmacy they told me to go to Boots. No problem now getting my pills there.

I read on a forum, a few years ago, about a certain company being taken to court for not putting enough of the main ingredient in a pill.

[SuziElley in reply to CDreamer]

Don’t know where you are now, but I’m in Somerset and no problems with the supply of medication. I occasionally get a different brand but so far, always been available

[Thomas45 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

I have problems with my local Boots. I have Lymphoedema as well as AF, asthma and a benign prostate problem and right foot drop. I am measured every 7 months for compression socks. They used to take a fortnight from prescription to receiving them. The last pair took 10 weeks and the local Boots pharmacist told me 12 weeks is the norm. I raised this on the HU lymphoedema site and found that two independent pharmacies take less than a fortnight from prescription to supply by free post, so I'm switching away from Boots, who also take 6-7 days to supply repeat medication.

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to Thomas45]

Boots (in our small town) have my prescription ready in about 3 days from my ordering from doc, sometimes earlier. My GP's surgery send it direct to them and I receive a text when it's ready for collection.

[Thomas45 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

That used to happen in the large village I live in (population about six thousand), but now it's 6-7 days and they've stopped opening on Saturday morning.

[secondtry]

I have had no problems with my Flec scrip from my GP surgery. However, I would advise you to maintain at least one month supply in case of temporary problems. I did this by slowly ordering a few days earlier each month until I reached my desired buffer stock.