Coated prednisone

[tgca]

My GP's pharmacist had ordered the coated preds but they had not arrived by the time I needed them so I had to resort to the uncoated ones. She gave me the full prescription in order that I could try to obtain these preds from a chemist. Interestingly enough, none of the chemists I visited had the coated type in stock which leads me to wonder whether most GPS are prescribing the uncoated version due to cost??? I gave up omeprazole having discovered, from this site, that it was no longer necessary when taking the coated pred ( no side effects) so am also wondering whether GPS aren't cutting off their noses with the cost of two meds as opposed to the one. Answers please on a postcard!!!!!

[Rose54]

Hi

Prednisolone 2.5mg and 5mg Gastro-resistant Tablets are available in UK. However as many of use 1mg tablets for DSS method often cutting then in half ,perhaps their is more demand for these than the coated ones.

Plus non coated get into your system quicker them coated ones ,many use yogurt to coat their stomachs instead of taking omeprazole.

Rose

[Rugger in reply to Rose54]

I take coated pred at night, so they will be released into my system in the early hours when the cytokines appear. That's my theory, anyway.

1mg coated tablets have been available for a year or so. I get all three strengths on prescription. Like SnazzyD, I think my pharmacist has to order them in for me, but as I wait 3 or 4 days after ordering my repeats online, I've never been told they don't have them in stock.

Pred is a cheap drug costing only pennies per tablet and the coated version is only slightly more than the plain. Without a PPI, the coated pred costs the NHS less.

[SnazzyD]

Hello, here is an old post about cost.

healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

It appears GPS do see the coated Pred as more expensive, but without the Omeprazole as well it isn't. My surgery orders my coated ones in each time.

I have coated because not even Ranitidine or Omeprazole helped and dairy and I don't get along. I do have to make sure I don't take my coated on a full stomach as it seems to reduce the absorption in that symptoms returned in the early days before I worked it out. Now I leave it a couple of hours either side.

[jinasc]

Not the GPs fault, and edict came out about uncoated being cheaper..............so I cannot blame GPs this time.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Doesn't need a postcard - I have written umpteen posts doing the arithmetic!

Figures as of about 3 years ago, source a dispensing pharmacist:

Plain pred 30 tabs: £1.31

Coated pred 30 tabs: £1.86

Omeprazole 30 tabs: £1.86

Dispensing fee for each medication and dose - variable but usually about £1, can be more, one for pred, one for PPI.

[tgca in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks PMRpro, you've confirmed my thoughts.

Following on this thread, in all, I tried 2 main chemists in county town, 2 in local town, telephoned 4 more: 2 chemists insisted there are no such things as coated 1mg (soon put them right), eventually found one chemist who said he could get them and he rang 2 distributors : apparently there is trouble obtaining them. I returned to my GP this morning and lo and behold, the meds had arrived!!!

[Bj2016]

I have also had difficulty getting the 1mg gastro-resistant pred recently. My pharmacist says there is a problem at the manufacturer's end, and he will keep trying for me. In the meantime I am using uncoated tablets and I can certainly feel the difference as far as stomach acid is concerned. I hope they sort it out soon.