Hello, my daughter and I have just had letters from GP saying T3 not going to be prescribed anymore by them!!! ( 'Red drug' NOT our readings and health which are fine!)
Can anyone let me know of consultants in Bristol ,Bath, Yeovil area that will precribe?
Juliat,
A NHS consultant will usually issue the first prescription to be filled at the hospital pharmacy but repeats generally have to be issued via the GP practice. You could try appealing the decision with your local CCG although they have imposed the 'ban'.
There are private doctors in Bristol who will prescribe T3. Pm me if you want details
Hi, please could I have a contact of a GP in Bristol who can prescribe T3.Thanks
Try Dr <redacted name> in Yeovil or Dr <redacted name> or dr <redacted name> in Taunton all endocrinologists. Xx
Hi Julia
Somerset CCG will no longer allow Dr's or Endos to prescribe T3 on a long term bassis (I had a very long letter from them at the beginning of 2015). I was on T3 for 7 years but was taken off it in Nov 2014 due to the rising cost and that T4 is the recommended medication for hypothyroidism. They also did not accept the DIO2 gene test that showed I don't convert T4 to T3. I also saw an Endocrinologist at Weston General Hospital who wrote to my GP saying my health improved with the addition of T3, but Somerset CCG will just not allow it. So I was left with nothing but Levo, which doesn't work for me as I don't convert to T3.
I have since started on NDT (WP Thyroid) and seem to be doing well.
I will PM you the name of the Endo in Weston, but he will only be able to prescribe T3 on a private prescription which is very expensive. Good luck.
There are GP's in Somerset prescribing T3, ours does.
I hope they continue to prescribe for you. My letters to GP, MP and CCG got me absoultely nowhere in spite of conversion issues.
Hiya. Yes so did mine until they suddendly sent a letter last week out of the blue.
Do you mean they have ignored Somerset CCG listing of Liothyronnine as a BLACK DRUG and have accepted responsibility for prescribing it?
that would be very useful to know.
thanks
when you say ours (GP ) prescribes T3 can please give their name?
Sorry no, it wouldn't help you anyway.
Hello, thanks for reply. I believce you are somerset CCG
Any chance you have a copy of the letters you sent in?
I would love to see them. glad armour seems to be ok for you
Yes I am in Somerset. I have to take my dog to the vet this morning, but I will post extracts from my many letters later.
Scorp1o also posted the following link 9 days ago 'Liothyronine Under Threat':
Hi @juliat below are some extracts from letters about the refusal to continue prescribing T3 for me:
Extract from letter dated 9 December 2015 from Endo Musgrove Park:
"In answer to your recent letter, the decision to withdraw funding for T3 in Somerset is a CCG decision and has not been made by myself or Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust. I specifically contacted the CCG when you first wrote to me and they confirmed again that they no longer fund long-term T3 replacement for hypothyroidism. As you point out in your letter, I am free to prescribe T3 if it is clinically indicated. However, as there is no funding for the medication you would still need to pay for the drug. This would mean that I issue a private prescription and as I am full time NHS doctor, that becomes impractical.
I am sorry that I am not able to provide you with T3 funded by the NHS. I cannot enter into further discussions with you on this topic as I cannot change the situation.'
Extract from letter Endo Musgrove Park, 1 October 2015:
'As per XXXX XXXXXXX's letter dated 2nd December Somerset CCG have withdrawn funding for long term liothyronine therapy for primary hypothyroidism. I have contacted them again this week and they have confirmed this. As you will see from the previous letter, it will be considered in short term situations such as myxoedema crisis or as an adjunct to radioiodine therapy in thyroid cancer. In light of the very difficult financial situation we are in at present, I suspect this will be one of many therapies that will no longer be available. As you will see from my previous letter, costs for Liothyronine have dramatically increased in the last few years and the evidence base for its long term use remains very limited. I am sorry that I am unable to help but at present there is no funding for this medication in Somerset.'
Extract from letter 13 February 2015 from Somerset CCG:
Somerset CCG aims to achieve the best clinical outcomes for its patients, in the most cost effective and evidence based manner, within the rescources for commissioning health services.
The role of the Somerset CCG Prescribing and Medicines Management Committee and the Somerset Prescribing Forum is to issue guidance to prescribers across primary and secondary care and ensure that due processes are followed to implement cost effective, safe and evidence based medicine.
Where specialist wish to initiate medicines which Somerset CCG considers cost effective with a good safety and evidence base then Somerset has arrangements for supporting a shared care approach with the patient's GP. However, where Somerset CCG does not consider the specialist recommendation to be cost effective use of NHS resources then Somerset CCG would not support the commissioning of the drug and GP's would be supported in make a different prescribing choice to the specialist recommendation.
Somerset CCG has never approved the use of liothyronine as a long term maintenance therapy, a position which was agreed with local specialists. The latest guidance from the Royal College of Physicians states:
Overwhelming evidence supports the use of thyroxine (T4 or tetra-iodothyronine) alone in the treatment of hypothyroidism, with this usually being prescribed as levothyroxine. We do not recommend the prescribing of additional tri-iodothyronine (T3) in any presently available formulation including Armour Thyroid, as it is inconsistent with normal physiology, has not been unequivocally proven to be of any benefit to patients, and may be harmful. There are potential risk from T3 therapy, using current preparations, on bone (eg osteoporosis and the heart (eg arrhythmia).
Somerset CCG Prescribing and Medicines Management Committee reviewed the current prescribing and latest guidance and reiterated the position that Somerset CCG did not commission long term maintenance therapy with liothyronine.
Following review, Somerset CCG guidance on liothyronine was communicated to GP practices and local secondary care colleagues. The expection of the Somerset Prescribing and Medicines Management Committee was that GP's would review patients and convert their treatment over to levothyroxine and that specialists would support this process and also not initiate any new patients on liothyronine. We believe the Somerset CCG guidance on prescribing levothyroxine for maintenace therapy, rather than liothyronine, to be the most cost effective use of limited NHS resources.
I hope you find the above interesting. I tried to fight this for a year, but eventually ran out of steam.
I have posted on this issue several times.Ministers say if GP has decided you need T3 they cannot stop prescribing on cost grounds alone.You should write to your MP and raise a complaint see NHS Choices site for process.
Ministers are aware of the cost issue but too lazy or incompetent to act.
hello, are the person who said " I don't take bunken from anyone"?
I'm trying to find a post that I read about fighting this
thanks for your pointers
I cannot say I am surprised. But Ministers say if GP decides you need it and clearly that was the case you should not be denied it on cost grounds alone.
Have you tried your MP?
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