Medication not available in pharmacies during C19

[TaiwanA]

I'm taking Azathioprine and Cyclosporin for Bechet's but with the Covid situation, none of the pharmacies has my medication and the GP says they are unable to help. Any advice on where I can get these medications from?

[gillianTS]

Hi TaiwanA

I knew Azathioprine 25mg was major shortage in January and still the case last week, I managed to get my month's supply, this is all my health authority allows now due ro people not turning up for routine blood tests... anyway the pharmacist and I agreed for me to have 50mg tablets and fir me to split them in half because the brand they had have a score mark on them. They advised Azathioprine is in great shortage but 25mg not able to get at all.

Suggest you try phoning around pharmacists if you can drive, or signing up to an online pharmacy who deliver to you, they need to contact your GP to do this, have a look online.

I am now going to write to my GP for another prescription and tell them about this situation and to my consultant.

Thanks for your message.

Gillian

[Soph19]

I’m also struggling to get my prescription. I take 75mg so need 50mg and 25mg tablets but the 25’s are never available so I was advised to just 50’s and split in half. You might need your GP to authorise this though. I hope this helps you

[TaiwanA]

My GP refuses to have anything to do with my medication as they're on a "red list"... I've called every pharmacy in the area.

[gillianTS]

I suggest contacting the hospital department who has prescribed you with the medication in the first place and explain to them the situation, there is no way they will want you coming off the medication because of the possible consequences, maybe they can try and offer an alternative.

Maybe you will need to try and go outside the area for a pharmacist, I had to do a 100 mile round trip for mine earlier.

[TaiwanA in reply to gillianTS]

Hope a trip like that isn't required...

[gillianTS in reply to TaiwanA]

Can you please let me know how you get on with getting the Azathioprine.

I am going to try and speak to my GP tomorrow but I doubt they will be helpful because they follow instruction from prescribing consultant at hospital re Azathioprine and prednisolone. My husband reminded me that the pharmacist had said they have no responsibility to inform the GP practice of particular drug shortages, once the prescription has left the GP it then is the responsibility of the pharmacist to fulfil the prescription, when I informed my GP practice earlier this year they had absolutely no knowledge of any shortages and assumed that I was getting my prescription ok, had we no car to drive I do not know how I would have gone on.

Good luck

Gillian

[TaiwanA in reply to gillianTS]

I managed to get my medication eventually after semi-harrassing the consultant and GP. Turns out that the GP should be taking responsibility for my medication, there's no "red list" for long term patients, only when you're on recently prescribed medications. The hospital pharmacy had the medication but it took a week of broken promises to get it in my hands. Of course the situation is chaotic at the moment but I've had nothing but problems with my medications for the last few years...

[gillianTS in reply to TaiwanA]

Thanks for letting me know the lengths you have been through to get your medication it really is not acceptable at all, they tell you the last thing they want is you getting into flares and possibly ending up in hospital and yet they are just not helping. When my GP called me on Monday I mentioned the shortage and she said she was not aware of this so I told her what the pharmacist said that the GP would not be advised because once the prescription leaves the GP it is then the responsibility of the pharmacist to fulfill the prescription, the GP agreed but felt with an important drug such as immune suppressants they should be made aware so I lightly said well at least you know now... I called my pharmacist to check availability and they said they had 50's hoping this is the same next week when I am allowed to order my one months supply.

Take care of yourself.

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When I had the same problem with Thalidomide I rung the local hospital pharmacy explained the situation and they spoke with the Chemist we use and arranged a new supplier.