URSA

[AngelaBarron]

Hi, I've been on URSA for about a year now and am responding well. My GP has just told me that he intends to change my prescription from capsules to tablets, the same dosage. Anyone know of any differences before I go back to my consultant. I believe that the tablets are cheaper than the capsules, which is fine by me as long as they do the same job!

[Hidden]

Hello AngelaBarron.

I've always had the white chalky tablets since late 2010. My mgs aren't available in capsules as I think I am right in saying the 250mgs are. Yes the white tablets are cheaper to the NHS.

There won't be any difference in the actual mgs of ursodeoxycholic acid which is the active ingredient in the tablets/capsules (or liquid form), it is the make-up of the medication. You can actually check online regarding the tablets. The website GPs use and patients can also look on (though a bit more limited) is MIMS. If you put your actual capsules by brand or pharma into your search you can find patient info leaflets and that should give yo some idea of what your tablets will be made up of.

[AngelaBarron in reply to Hidden]

Thank you very much! I'll do as you suggest and look them up, but knowing that they work for you has put my mind at rest. If it saves the NHS money I'm quite happy.

[Hidden in reply to AngelaBarron]

Hello AngelaBarron.

I've always had to pay towards prescriptions and I was informed by 2 GPs back in the early days of PBC (diagnosed 2010) that my tablets (a brand at the time) were costing the NHS such-and-such an amount. I had to argue with my GP for more than what they said - 30 days prescription - as I was paying and that was and still is the only prescription I receive. I manged to get 90 days at a time.

When the 300mg tablets I used to take were stopped production of a few years ago I had to have a prescription for 150mgs so my GP wasn't happy with the quantity of tablets (I take 600mgs daily) but I had to argue my case yet again and do still receive 90 days.

I was always given a generically written prescription (just states 'ursodeoxycholic acid' and the mgs plus daily dose) so a pharmacy can supply what they have in stock or what they deem cheaper to the NHS. I was first of all given Destolit when I got the 150mgs and I was OK with those but then when I got another prescription 3 months later I was given generics (brown pharmacy labelled bottle, different pharma) and I was experiencing the most awful heartburn that persisted the prescription out. I had to speak to the GP and explain and though Destolit are a brand and dearer to the NHS they are fine for me and I don't feel guilty.

I do think the NHS wastes a lot of money and I do think that if one has a condition that is of no doing of their own and deemed to be said to take a medication for life as the urso is said to be then it should be waivered of charge. There is only England that has prescription charges unless one is exempt that I don't agree with.

[AngelaBarron in reply to Hidden]

I suppose that I'm lucky as I have had free prescriptions for a while now as I take thyroxin and I'm now old enough to qualify for free scripts. I do agree though, why some medications taken for life are free and others have to be paid for makes very little sense to me. I have only the hope that at some stage our leaders may develop some common sense, but it's been sadly lacking throughout my lifetime.

Thanks for all the info on URSA. I've read the links you gave and checked the ingredients and so far can't see much difference but will keep an eye on them. I know differing brands can have maybe only one different ingredient that can cause real problems.

I take 750 a day so I'll be interested to see the combinations. As long as I don't have to halve a 500 tablet! Old people only get a months meds at a time in case we die and waste them! Not that I intend going anywhere just yet.

[Hidden in reply to AngelaBarron]

Hello AngelaBarron.

As far as I know if you take urso as you state you'll either be prescribed your tablets in 3 x 250mgs daily which makes more sense to me or 1 x 500mgs and 2 x 250mgs that is OK if a patient who qualifies for free prescriptions but wouldn't if one had to pay.

Have to say that I pushed for more than 30 days (my urso comes in boxes with 15 days supply to each) due to the fact I pay. I'd not bother if I qualified for free prescriptions as if so would make sense then to get a pharmacy to deliver. I collect my own due to being a paying patient. Due to not being able to have the urso there and then at the pharmacy I pay for it when it is there.