Synacthen test

[rabbit51]

Hi can anyone who is in England pleade tell me if they have or are booked to have a Synacthen test and if so where they are in the country please. I am waiting to have one but have been told there's a shortage and none available in the country. If I can track down what areas there is some of this drug I might be able to source it. Many thanks

[jinasc]

Sorry rabbit51, but I don't quite understand...............what drug are you trying to track down and what for?

[rabbit51 in reply to jinasc]

The drug they use for the Synacthen test.

[SnazzyD]

Mine’s not for 6 months in East Anglia. Not sure hospitals are going to be happy to hand over their stock out of area. Storage might be a problem too because the cold chain must not be broken. By the looks of it, Synacthen needs to be kept below 4-8 C. Vaccines and some other drugs for example are similar and are transported by special couriers with constant temp monitoring and if that is disrupted the drug is assumed unreliable. Do you know why there is a shortage and where are you?

[rabbit51 in reply to SnazzyD]

Hi I wasn't actually suggesting i go and snatch it from a hospital some where but if it is available some where I can notify my consultant to see if he can get it from there.

[rabbit51 in reply to rabbit51]

I am in shropshire

[SnazzyD in reply to rabbit51]

😀 I wasn’t suggesting that! It’ll be down to who pays and the transport. There doesn’t seem to be much caring and sharing within the system these days. Why is there a shortage?

[rabbit51 in reply to SnazzyD]

I've no idea except the consultant says it happens with non life saving medicines and they have to negotiate with the suppliers for a new contract.

[SheffieldJane in reply to rabbit51]

That is depressing!

[Marlenec]

I replied to you when you asked on my post. But here it is again in case you missed it.

I have mine next week at St James, Leeds, and will ask about the shortage, and let you know

Good luck.🍀

[Soraya_PMR in reply to Marlenec]

I knew I’d seen a recent comment Re this, and could I find it? Thanks for commenting Marlene, it was driving me (more) bonkers🤪

[rabbit51 in reply to Marlenec]

Thank you

[Marlenec]

You're very welcome. If your endo says you need one, then you do.

[SheffieldJane]

I had my Synacthen Test at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield, no problems at all. The Wharfdale Hospital, in Otley, where I see my Rheumatologist would have done it there and then had I not already taken Pred that day. It didn’t seem like a very complex test. Just being injected with a substance to stimulate your Adrenal glands then bloods taken after half an hour, to be compared with the initial baseline blood test.

Where are you? I find this hard to believe, who said that there is a shortage in England? It’s not particularly specialised but pretty key to an Endocrinologist ‘s work.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to SheffieldJane]

Hospitals are reporting inability to easily access 170+ regularly used medications, some of which are routinely used for testing.

[SheffieldJane in reply to PMRpro]

This bit of news has passed me by. How lowering and worrying.

[Polymialgia]

There are lots of shortages of non essential meds due to Brexit, most pharmaceutical companies have amassed a 3 month supply but some have not been available in large quantities, a great number of our drugs come in from Europe especially Germany,

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Polymialgia]

There are problems with about 20-30 essential meds. Zentiva brand is widely unavailable and while the generic is still available many patients cannot use it.

[maria40 in reply to Polymialgia]

This is very concerning. I've now received 1mg coated pred after six week's delay. Do hope this will be resolved for all medicines soon. I'm having enough sleepless nights worrying about my pension which is paid from Germany, which may be endangered if there's no deal on Brexit, without having to worry about medication as well. What was that about avoiding stress for PMR/GCA patients?

[Polymialgia]

Just blame the brexit voters who wanted out without understanding what they were voting for or the ramifications