Still no gastro-resistant 1mg pred!

[Kendrew]

As my pharmacy has still been unable to get hold of 1mg gastro resistant prednisolone tabs. (Unless they have an expiry date of Nov 2020) I decided to try and do a bit of detective work to follow up a previous post on this matter. I managed to speak to Ken McKewan at Phoenix Labs and he said they'd had some product systems problems and some distribution problems. However!.... he assured me these problems were now sorted and the tabs were now available for despatch to all the wholesalers as of Tuesday next week! They should be available again in the next week or so. Fingers crossed!!

[SheffieldJane]

Thanks for the detective work. I am currently sitting on a small heap of gastric resistant 1 mg Pred tabs with an expiration date of Nov 2020.

[Kendrew in reply to SheffieldJane]

Thanks for your comment SheffieldJane. I also would have had a mountain of 'out of date' 1mg tabs sitting in my cupboard, as I needed a lot to begin my DSNS taper. Seems a little common sense was in short supply when these tabs were despatched! Phoenix Labs said the expiration date is up to the end of Nov, not the beginning of Nov, but my pharmacist advised me the opposite way round. I'm not sure which is correct. Others may be able to advise.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Kendrew]

The END of the month listed is the standard dating for all drug expiry dates. However, if it is a use-by date it means it shouldn't be used in the month listed (I know, crackers!)

nhs.uk/common-health-questi...

[Kendrew in reply to PMRpro]

It's no wonder we get confused! Bonkers!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Kendrew]

Especially when you read the research that finds that expiry dates for most drugs has at least a 2 year buffer and for many, 10 years ...

[Omanain]

Thank you. I have the same problem and was worried about future prescriptions. Feel reassured now! x

[Lonsdalelass]

That's great Kendrew! Saves me having to contact them again, they must be wondering why so many of us are getting in touch! 🤣 And it also saves me contacting my surgery and getting nowhere! Yes, fingers crossed. By the way, I have a question and would like an opinion... The last time I picked up my prescription my surgery couldn't supply me with as many 1mg gastro resistant preds (due to the current problem) and could only give me one box of 30 (along with one box of 2.5mg). So I paid the fee of £9.15 and they gave me a script for 60 more in the hope another pharmacy had them... When I rang them back the next day, I asked them if this meant I would have to pay for these 60 elsewhere, and was told yes. This does not seem right or fair to me. And I told them this, but still got the same answer. What do you think?

[Kendrew in reply to Lonsdalelass]

I'm really not sure what the protocol is in that situation.....I would have regarded it as all one prescription that you pay for once but I'm genuinely not able to answer that. Really sorry. Someone else may be able to??

[Lonsdalelass in reply to Kendrew]

Thank you for the reply. Think I'll be paying again, sadly....

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Lonsdalelass]

I'm pretty sure you should have been given an IOU for the 30 tablets the pharmacy couldn't supply - the same as they should have done when they didn't have enough of anything to fill a script. Then you wouldn't have to pay anything for those 30. A whole new script is another matter.

[Lonsdalelass in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks for the reply, yes, I think you're probably right. But as they didn't give me an IOU it now looks like I'll have to pay again! But I never thought of asking for one, so I guess it's a lesson learned. Nevermind, in another year I'll be getting my meds for free! 🤣

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Lonsdalelass]

How many scripts do you get a month/year? I had a pre-pay certificate - I think break-even is more than 3 per in 3 months but it saves having the cash on you if you don't use a card. I often used to get a 3 month one and stock up just before it was due for renewal and got a new one when I next needed a script.

nhsbsa.nhs.uk/help-nhs-pres...

[Lonsdalelass in reply to PMRpro]

Yes, I got a pre-payment card last year as I seemed to need something each month so it was worth having one. This year from last October to this, I didn't bother as I had a fairly good stash and so chanced my luck. Its paid off (excuse the pun!) as I haven't paid out as much. This time, with this last occurrence, I'll put it down to experience and admit I've just been stung. I'll watch out for it next time though and ask for an IOU. Thanks so much for your help and advice PMRpro. ☺️

[SheffieldJane]

I think it’s a racket! 😠

[Lonsdalelass in reply to SheffieldJane]

Yes, a big one as well! Pity I can't use it on someone! 🤣

[SheffieldJane in reply to Lonsdalelass]

Ha!

[Floridafan]

Ah, I’ve just handed in my prescription at the pharmacy as it had been said, last week on this forum, that they would be available this week from Phoenix Labs ( I believe they are in Dublin). Looks like I’ll have to wait another week now. Did he mention any wholesalers by name? It might help my pharmacy to locate them

[Kendrew]

Alliance Boots was mentioned but no others I'm afraid.

[SheffieldJane]

Boots sourced my Nov 30 expiry ones when my own pharmacy wouldn’t/ couldn’t. I moved to Boots because of the pharmacist’s “ can do” attitude.

[Floridafan]

Update from Phoenix Labs re the 1mg gastro resistant tablets:

They are processing the orders today to the wholesalers. They will be supplying AAH, Alliance Healthcare and Phoenix Healthcare (so if your pharmacies don’t know where to source them you can let them know, mine hadn’t got a clue!!).

The orders will pass through the supply chain this week and they expect local pharmacies to be able to obtain stock from next week. The tablets will have an expiry date of April 2022

[Kendrew]

Thankyou for the update.