Urso - once again!!

[Shirleygreen]

If these urso 300 mg have been withdrawn suddenly - I hope that does not mean that there was a problem with what was in the ones they have been issuing to us?

[Hidden]

To be on the safe side I stopped taking the 300mg tablets as soon as I heard that they had been withdrawn. I had to contact my GP to ask her to prescribe double the amount of the 150mg tablets as the pharmacists won't issue different to what's on the prescription.

[Shirleygreen]

Hi Nannabn

Makes you wonder about this medication they could be giving us anything!

[Hidden in reply to Shirleygreen]

It all comes down to "money" We, the patients come last!!!!!!!

[Hidden]

Yes it is very true there Nannabn.

Money ('the root of all evil' the saying goes), that is what it really does come down to.

I was informed back in early 2011 and only been on the urso a few months that apparently it was costing the NHS £90 for what I was picking up at the pharmacy! This was for the GP when I asked if I could have more than the '2 months' (60 days was). So what I thought!? I then told him that I've always had to pay for the script if I ever have any (prior to 2010 I'd not had a script since 1999) so I couldn't see the problem in that, moreso as urso was apparently the only drug for PBC and I'd rather not be on a drug daily for what could be the rest of my life.

Since I was diagnosed with PBC Dec 2010 there has been a lot of talk about generics and doctors are supposed to supply a script with the generic term (ie ursodeoxycholic acid, what mine has always been). A pharmacy can then supply what is in stock or on their list to a patient, sometimes it is a brand as that is all available, most of the time now it seems a cgeap alternative to the NHS. The brand name of URDOX was dropped from mine as I'm sure others will have noticed as Wockhardt seems to have been presently the only supplier in the 300mgs tablets. I did ask why at 2 different pharmacies and got my answer, the manufacturer supply branded and unbranded and tho' they have the same drug as in our case the ursodeoxycholic acid in 300mgs without being branded they are cheaper for the NGS to supply.

When I recently emailed Wockhhardt about this recall, they informed me to check out their website and I did have a glance on it, they fill you in a bit more on who they supply (tho' couldn't see where the drugs were made!).

I feel cheated in a way that I was not aware of the fact the tablets were coming all the way from India as if you look at the packaging it seems that they are being made in this country for which the pharmaceutical which is different (in this case Wockhardt) is also stated. I think it is so daft importing things like this as I do certain foods but unfortunately it seems the way of the world, globalisation.