TEVA vs Zentiva?

[Coppernob]

My new CCG either won't or can't supply Zentiva brand Hydroxycholoroquine Sulphate.

Have people found that the TEVA brand is generally OK? Thanks.

[HollyHeski Administrator]

Hi, the TEVA was ok for my APS and sjogrens symptoms, I notice no change but it did cause my horrible gastro problems, almost immediately.

Once returned to Zentiva brand, I returned back to normal.

[lupus-support1 Administrator]

TEVA is a major pharmaceutical company supplying the NHS. I use their medications.

[MaryF Administrator]

if you consultant and GP are having problems sourcing it, here are the details.Zentiva®

If your pharmacist has any difficulty obtaining Zentiva® branded hydroxychloroquine, the product description is: "HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE SULPHATE (ZENTIVA) 200MG FILM COATED" and the 'PIP number' (product code) is 1201730. If for any reason they cannot find the product on their system they can ring the customer service line on 0800 854 430.

MaryF

[MLNC]

I had the same problems, it appears it just isn't available. The explanation I was given was possible delays in negotiating a price with the NHS.

I explained to my pharamacist the problems I'd had when using other generics, including hairloss, and she very kindly kept ringing around warehouses until she found a box tucked away. Keep persisting, there may be more boxes languishing in a dark corner somewhere.

[CheddarAddict]

I have just been through this so many thanks to all the help on my recent post as I have just got this sorted.. This may not be so relevant outside of the UK I guess. Its all about cost!

There are apparently no supply issues with Zentiva made Hydroxychloroquine Film Coated Tablets... It is ALL about the system and the price compared to alternative generics like TEVA, Bristol Labs or Quinoric, they ALL contain the same amount of Hydroxychloroquine, they are all film coated... but could be a totally different formulation.

All of the trials and a lot of people like myself put on this a few years ago was with the (at the time) main brand this drug available here called Plaquenil.

"Plaquenil® was the brand of hydroxychloroquine which was previously most commonly supplied by pharmacies in the UK. In summer 2015 Sanofi-Aventis Medicine (the manufacturers of Plaquenil®) ‘de-branded’ the drug to generic. This meant that Plaquenil® branded hydroxychloroquine was no longer available.

There are other brands of hydroxychloroquine that are available. If you previously received Plaquenil® and know that you can tolerate it, there is now the generic brand version with the same formulation available called Zentiva®."

Any prescriptions that stated ‘hydroxychloroquine sulphate 200mg (Plaquenil)’ or ‘hydroxychloroquine sulphate 200mg’ would then be supplied by whichever brand the pharmacist had available.

Up until this year and even through periods where there have been supply issues I had always managed to get mine from a small independent Pharmacy, back in Sept he started having issues or so I was told. I then looked around and found one of the local Day Lewis Pharmacies had it in stock and would give this instead of Quinoric, the cheap staple they normally try and fob you off with. The cost/stock level of this however must have caught up with them and I was told over Christmas that I had to take what they had as they had no more and the Prescription did not state Zentiva brand... Most Pharmacies are tied to what the distributors or distribution hubs hold and again under the 'system' whatever is cheapest is what is bought and dished out regardless. There is apparently not only a vast difference in the cost of versions but also they have a habit of charging extortionately to dispatch/courier specials and most pharmacies are clamping down on every cost.. The only way they could help was if Prescription stated Zentiva.

At that time my GP was unwilling to state it on the Prescription as it doesn't just type up on the Heading but after a verbose letter from me explaining that I as they were well aware I could not tolerate Quinoric and that I was not willing to guinea pig try the other brands having heard others had had issue with them to see if they made me ill or not he agreed and added on the prescription that they must be Zentiva brand please and please DO NOT issue Quinoric.

2 points to note with this.. I tried to get this Prescription through on EPS (electronic repeat prescriptions) ... at a larger pharmacy group this failed miserably as the computer doesn't read the notes and the system dispatches the cheapest available in stock.. If you want this to work its easier if you get a green paper version and hand it to them, then they can request Zentiva around the system... The 'white EPS prescriptions' fail. May be easier at a small independent where they actually do the buying rather than a central buying/dispatch? I changed as I felt they had a better chance of getting what was needed.

The 2nd is time.. this takes a little longer for them to source and lets face it its bad enough feeling crap all the time without then going through a mission every 4 weeks to get the next lot of happy pills... .. so I now have 60 days worth prescribed.. that was a well worded paragraph for the Doc.. and I now will look to making sure I start the process again early in March to ensure I don't run out....

When I wrote to the doc I included this which I guess helped.. Thanks APsnotFab XXX lupusuk.org.uk/hydroxychlor...

Good luck everyone