Methylcobalamin B12 is classed as a nutritional supplement. As this form of B12 is not a licensed Prescription Only Medicine (POM), this supplement can be purchased online without prescription.
That is what is stated by Dr. Ayanna Knight on Skinbrighton.uk
Her prices are absolutely over-the-top.
My question is why is this not widely available - and known about - and at reasonable prices?
I'm searching for suppliers as my stock of hydroxocobalamin is out-of-date and now not very effective. German firms say no hydroxo but can get cyanocobalamin. Cyano has side effects for me.
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tomdickharry
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ALLinjectables are prescription only in the U.K. Even saline .So injectable Methyl can only be obtained from abroad . Arnika in Munich manufacture Methylcobalamin in 1ml ampoules . Email address
manufaktur@arnika-apo.de For prices , and to order
Phone From U.K. +49 89 452 468 468. They speak English
Pay pal or Bank transfer
Some people buy dehydrated Methylcobalamin powder from Oxford Biosciences . ( no prescription required ) But saline will need to be obtained from an online German pharmacy . This is not a recommended method .
Not yet, in the new year will contact them as wedgewood insists that prescription needed for any injectable. If she issued her own prescription surely she would say that. 'this supplement can be purchased online without prescription.' is what she does say.
She is trying to get round the regulations . Probably by saying that the ampoules are for weight loss or anti-ageing , and not for medicinal purposes . She will have to be very careful , or she will be in trouble . I’ve been on that site . I believe that she gets the Methylcobalamin ampoules from Arnika , and marks up the price hugely .
We will all be interested to hear the outcome . …….
This is the clinic's reply to me. As everyone said...
'...Thank you for contacting the clinic. We supply Methylcobalamin as a wellness supplement predominantly to our clients who would usually visit us in clinic however are unable to travel. Methylcobalamin does not require a prescription however we do not offer this as a treatment for B12 Deficiency or Pernicious anaemia. For these concerns, we would recommend visiting a GP where you may qualify to receive Hydroxocobalamin injections free of charge. Methylcobalamin is not licensed in the UK as a treatment for B12 Deficiency - Hydroxocobalamin is very effective.'
Reading between the lines I think she will give you an online consultation and prescription and then sell you the B12. Just like when you buy antibiotics on line.
I was told that having pernicious anemia it was always hydroxocobalamin either due to the effect, strength or supply over cyanocobalamin etc so I have stuck with that and I think that's a good way to go although it's in shortage and correct me if I'm wrong taking anything other than hydroxocobalamin is fine if you have a b12 deficiency only or methylcobalamin too, perhaps hydroxocobalamin is the only one that really is prescription only? Hopefully someone can clear that up.
Well really the main reason the NHS use hydroxocobalamin is because it's cheaper and wouldn't need to be injected as much as cyanocobalamin also stays in the body longer so think about that, if someone feels better with cyanocobalamin I have nothing against that but I reckon that's maybe a placebo effect as hydroxocobalamin seems to be the injection of choice but we live and learn , tomorrow they might say no you should be taking something else ! We all know more tests are required etc anyway hope your all well 👍
injectable hydroxocobalamin is less stable and hence more expensive than cyanocobalamin - though difference is a minimal. The NHS uses it because, on average it is retained twice as long as cyanocobalamin and there isn't any need to be careful about patients who might have leber's syndrome. However, they are dealing in averages and they may not be true for everyone but get applied to everyone.
From the prsrpective of the NHS the main cost of administering an injection is the time of the nurse who injects it ... and all the overheads associated with premises etc.
I buy my equipment shall we say ie syringes , needles etc from a company called exchange supplies which I believe is in the UK but recently I noticed the needles are not locking at all on the syringe? just pulls off which is annoying as they are usually OK and never had any problems but I may need to change supplies if they don't agree. Just bought boxes and boxes too! Is there a better more established company you know that supplies the equipment? No worries if not I can still manage cheers
Davy28 suggest you put this as a separate post. It can be a bit irritating to some posters to have their posts sidelined by queries like this as they will receive notifications that aren't actually relevant to what they have asked. Obvious thing would be to go back to the supplier and ask them if they are aware of any problems. It may be that you have received a faulty batch.
Methyl is more sensitive to store and have shorter effect. I’ve heard (is it true?) the following compare on effect on 1 ml ampul - methyl 1 week, cyano 2 week, hydroxo 4 week. Hydroxcobalaminacetat is the best - stable, easy to store and longest effect.
Please forgive my ignorance? But as your GP said no to such injections...? And is it not worth ( financially ) getting a GP private prescription for some new stocks....?
There is a bizarre paradox in the classification of B12 that is currently preventing any agreement to sell B12 OTC (Over-the-Counter).
Basically it boils down to the patient's need, i.e.
Scenario 1) They are deficient on a blood test and need to medically raise levels = B12 must be prescription only. It will take a form of Hydroxocobalamin or, in some cases, Cyanocobalamin.
Scenario 2) They are not deficient and want 'a boost' to levels for health and vitality = B12 can be sold without a prescription. The medical community view this as 'placebo' since there is no deficiency since the customer would go to their Doctor for help. So, it can be any form of available B12 that the seller has. No blood test is needed (but in my view this is where its all going wrong).
So this seller is slightly blurring lines but is able to sell Methyl and state it is not POM because Doctors do not issue prescriptions for Methyl. However, the intent to sell must be to offer 'a boost' to health and wellbeing. And in this case that is unequivocal since you can buy Methyl and cannot get it as a POM.
Plus - because Methylcobalamin is hard to find or purchase in the UK, this seller is potentially exploiting that by raising prices.
They potentially have an agreement with a supplier that we dont know of and won't know of because B12 is not legally available OTC. So you wouldn't find it available anywhere in the UK, apart from similar high Street salons who give wellness injections. But, even with a Doctor's note, you wouldn't get Methyl as POM.
So the seller can charge whatever they want to whoever is willing to pay. But if you are trying to treat a medical deficiency, this treatment is not for it. It is for wealthy health freaks who can't get to London or a salon for private wellness (placebo) injections.
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