Letters on Levo?

[infomaniac]

I always get loose Mercury Pharma levo from my local chemist as opposed to the boxed ones they have as I like to stick to the same brand. My records have been noted. When I went for my latest prescription yesterday the chemist in a puzzled voice "And you want them in bottles?". It was only later I thought about it and wondered if she'd simply decanted some other boxed brand into bottles!

The small lettering on the new 25mcg is LT and on the old it's just some sort of pattern I can't make out. On the new 100mcg it's C and the old 100mcg it's TC.

Can anyone shed any light on this please?

Thanks a lot

[helvella]

Yes - have a look at the documentation on the EMC site.

The lettering (called debossing) changed - I think late 2016.

medicines.org.uk/emc/search...

If you play around on that site you can find old versions so you can follow the history of updates.

[helvella in reply to helvella]

Unless all the information is on the pack, all medicines must include a PIL, regardless of how patients get them.

gov.uk/guidance/medicines-p...

Just what do pharmacies think they are doing when they do not provide a Patient Information Leaflet each time they dispense a medicine?

You get better information with a 19 pence pack of paracetamol from your discount chain.

Always Read The Leaflet

Getting the best information with every medicine

gov.uk/government/uploads/s...

Just how could you read the leaflet if the pharmacy does not issue one?

[infomaniac in reply to helvella]

Thanks very much for that helvella but it's a bit over my head (doesn't take much these days !)

I had a scout around the page and wondered why I couldn't find Mercury Pharma but apparently it's owned by Concordia?? Basically I haven't a clue now what I've been taking for the last 3 years so I'm just taking a deep breath, not getting stressed and praying that what I've been given is my normal stuff!! It looks identical so here's hoping

[helvella in reply to infomaniac]

All the products I linked to are Mercury Pharma - or were - now bought by Concordia International!

From the four PILs for the levothyroxine tablets produced by Concordia International (formerly AMCO, formerly Mercury Pharma), I have extracted the bits that describe the current tablets:

What Eltroxin Tablets look like and contents of the pack:

Each tablet is engraved on one side with LT and engraved on

the other with 25.

What Eltroxin Tablets look like and contents of the pack

Each tablet is engraved on one side with LT and engraved on

the other with either

50mcg - 50

100mcg - 100

What Levothyroxine Tablets look like and contents of the

pack:

Each tablet is engraved on one side with LT and engraved on

the other with 25.

What Levothyroxine Tablets look like and contents of the pack

Each tablet is engraved on one side with LT and engraved on

the other with either

50mcg - 50

100mcg - 100.

====================================

On the other hand...

If your tablet says TC on one side, and C on the other - it is 100 microgram Actavis (or Almus, which is the same product).

[infomaniac in reply to helvella]

So does that mean Concordia are producing all levo now?

[helvella in reply to infomaniac]

No, not at all.

My last sentence said:

If your tablet says TC on one side, and C on the other - it is 100 microgram Actavis (or Almus, which is the same product).

And that is nothing to do with Concordia/Mercury Pharma!

Links to the Patient Information Leaflet and Summary of Product Characteristics documents here:

medicines.org.uk/emc/search...

Unfortunately, those documents do NOT include a description.

[Gambit62 Administrator]

informaniac - not sure if you mean to post this on the PAS forum rather than the TUK forum?