T3 on NHS £258 a months supply?!? Shock horror.

[Brubru]

Just back from the pharmacy and been told t3 has increased further. NHS give me this money I'll buy a ticket to Greece get 3 month supply and back with change. What's wrong with budgeting? Makes no sense. Feel like writing to a newspaper. 

[shaws Administrator]

Extortion comes to mind - the doctor could prescribe a Cheaper Brand named T3 but they aren't licenced in the UK but are prescribed worldwide. GPs can prescribe these on a 'named patient basis' but that means if there's a problem it rests on his shoulders.

There is no way MP can answer, I believe, for the cost of this product.

Write or see your Parliamentary MP as you need this hormone.

[Brubru in reply to shaws]

I'm not actually paying for it Shaws but still. It doesn't make sense at all, big pharma is playing with the government 

[shaws Administrator in reply to Brubru]

MHRA doesn't seem to be ensuring cost is kept within a reasonable range.

[boltbag]

I go to turkey every year I get tiromol and levo 100 of each for 16tl which converts to 4 pound English money so I can't understand why it is so expensive here needless to say I bring back my years supply and more incase I need an increase ☺☺

[Brubru in reply to boltbag]

Boltbag before being prescribed I got 150 tablets  (0.25mcg) through site recomended to me here and it cost me £40. So yes big pharma is stealing the NHS 

[belford in reply to boltbag]

can you get it shipped from Turkey to the UK I know that antibiotics can be shipped into this country as I got some trimethropine for a water infection and they came through ok and yes we did check they were the real makoy

[Brubru in reply to belford]

Yes Belford Ive bought before from a site in Cyprus but the point I'm trying to make is about NHS being held ransom by the pig pharma. NHS could certainly be buying T3 with the same price tag as other countries in Europe? theyre being ripped off. 

[Hidden]

My endo said that it's only expensive here because it's under prescribed. 

[Brubru in reply to Hidden]

Might be the case. I had a nice chat to the pharmacist and he was in a meeting with the health authorities to no avail 

[silverfox7 in reply to Hidden]

It's under prescribed because so expensive! Chicken and egg!!

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

It's expensive having people on PIP because they are too sick to work! And if my GP stops prescribing mine then I'll probably flare with RA sooner and end up on prescription only drugs that make T3 seem a pittance! 

[Brubru in reply to Hidden]

Agreed! But still my point is if other countries in Europe can sell it at such low prices why can't UK? Have we got less buying power than Portugal for instance that Rachel_81 has mentioned here buying for €4? Something is not being properly administered. 

[Hidden in reply to Brubru]

I think it's probably more the fault of NICE and SIGN for saying that T3 isn't a treatment they generally support in their guidelines for treatment of hypothyroid patients in the UK? 

[Brubru in reply to Hidden]

It could be the case. I'm going to check a way of contacting everyone. It doesn't matter if NHS is buying it only for one patient they can't sit and be just accept this extortion. 

[Hidden in reply to Brubru]

I agree and laud your efforts - best of luck! 

[Rachel_81]

I live in Portugal and the local pharmacy imports french T3 for me, 0.25mcgx30 is about 4 pounds.

Someone is making a lot of money if it's costing the NHS over 200 pounds, smells like corruption to me.

[Brubru in reply to Rachel_81]

Rachel there you go! Big pharma doing what they do best. Anyway tell your pharmacy that if they start an online business selling to us in uk (without prescription) they will make good money *sighs sadly*

[Rachel_81 in reply to Brubru]

Unfortunately they only dispense with prescription, they need to file the prescription to be able to import.

[Brubru]

Which newspaper you'd reckon would be interested in this story? Besides my MP I want to take it to the news

[Treepie in reply to Brubru]

The Mail .Ministers know about the cost and are too lazy or incompetent to do anything about it. It's up to other producers to apply for a license at great cost.

[Brubru in reply to Treepie]

I'll write to the

 treepie. I've written to BBC yesterday. This has to stop. 

[fiona]

Under prescribed so it is expensive... this leads to less chance of it being prescribed for others. Why do they even tell us? Lay the guilt trip on subtly?

[Brubru in reply to fiona]

I did feel that could be the case Fiona and it did work  

[loueldhen]

When I collected my prescription yesterday it was covered in purple highlighter saying 'expensive item - check payment details'. As it's for hypothyroidism I have a medical exemption certificate. We would not tolerate this if we were paying for it ourselves. I will talk to my gp about prescribing a brand named T3 but I think I am the only patient that they have on it. Does anyone get their T3 this way?

[Brubru in reply to loueldhen]

Loudeldhen. Well I don't exactly pay for it myself (I have the exemption) but the money is coming out of all of us taxpayers and if they negotiated properly with the pharmaceutical companies NHS would spend less and stop being ripped off by big pharma 

[Hidden in reply to loueldhen]

I have medical exemption but GP would not prescribe T3. I went to see a private endo and he tried T4 and T3 combo which didn't work for me. I was then prescribed Armour which did. I now have to pay nearly £100 a month. If I lived in neighbouring counties Gloucs or Warwicks. I could get it on the NHS.  See response to my complaint about this (a lot of it incorrect!):

Thank you for your email enquiring about the prescribing of Natural Desiccated Thyroid (NDT) extract also known as ‘Armour Thyroid’ which was forwarded to me.

As I’m sure you are aware, NDT is derived from porcine thyroid gland and contains a combination of levothyroxine (T4) and liothyronine (T3), used to treat hypothyroidism. It is not a licensed medicine in the United Kingdom (UK).

The prescribing of products that do not have a UK product license is not supported locally, even though they may have a license in another country. These products are not licensed under the Medicines Act, and so do not have any official clinical information for the prescriber to check when prescribing these products. Some unlicensed products have been reviewed by the Worcestershire Area Prescribing Committee (APC) but have been considered not suitable for prescribing in Worcestershire. 1 There is also no standardisation of quality, efficacy or safety.

Whilst doctors are not totally prohibited from prescribing unlicensed medicines, the General Medical Council (GMC) guidance on prescribing unlicensed medicines states that when prescribing an unlicensed medicine prescribers must be satisfied that there is sufficient evidence or experience of using the medicine to demonstrate its safety and efficacy. 2

A statement made by the Royal College of Physicians on ‘The diagnosis and management of primary hypothyroidism’states: 3

“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 risks from T3 therapy, using current preparations, on bone (eg osteoporosis) and the heart (eg arrhythmia). We note that the extract marketed as Armour Thyroid contains an excessive amount of T3 in relation to T4. Over-treatment with T4, when given alone, has similar risks.”

Additionally the British Thyroid Association (BTA) issued a statement in 2007 regarding the use of armour thyroid in thyroid replacement. 4 This stated:

“There is no evidence to favour the prescription of Armour Thyroid in the treatment of hypothyroidism over the prescription of thyroxine sodium, as supplied in the United Kingdom. There has never been a direct comparison of these two treatments. The BTA committee cannot recommend a treatment with possible side-effects, when a safe and equally well-established treatment exists.”

These statements emphasise the lack of evidence to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of NDT.

Given this information, I hope you understand why the prescribing of NDT is not supported locally. The same advice will be given to all GP's in the Malvern and Worcester area.

If we can be of any further assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Kind regards,

Medicines Commissioning Team

NHS South Worcestershire Clinical Commissioning Group

NHS Redditch & Bromsgrove CCG and NHS Wyre Forest CCG

[Zephyrbear in reply to Hidden]

I'm afraid I would write back to them and suggest, tactfully, that they're talking out of the hole in their backsides! I would also send them John Lowe's comprehensive rebuttal of that BTA statement of 2007 (have they really come up with nothing new in almost 10 years???) That might, at least, put it on public record... Funny how they're still banging on about the lack of efficacy of a medicine which preceded their pathetic levothyroxine and which was the only, highly successful, treatment for over 100 years!

[Brubru in reply to Zephyrbear]

Spot on Zephyrbear! That's exactly the place their words are coming from  

[linlow in reply to Hidden]

Well done for even looking in to it but on the obverse they are quite happy to see 100s of 1000s a year prescribed statins for an imaginary problem invented by American pharmaceuticals.

[Brubru in reply to Hidden]

What a lot of candy floss wedding2000. They've written so much and said so little. As I told my endo, I don't care what medication you give me just make me wake up in the morning rested and the other symptoms subside, and no antidepressants don't do that 

[MariLiz]

Join the club, we are all disgusted by this situation! Where is the Monopolies Commission when you need them? How can the government sit back and allow this to go unchecked? For only one company to be licensed to supply it in this country is appalling. They are holding the NHS to ransom.

[linlow in reply to MariLiz]

Unfortunately, with prescribed numbers so low there just isn't enough demand to warrant other companies getting involved.  I suppose that we ought to be grateful that Mercury still has a license for it!!

[MariLiz in reply to linlow]

Don't you think it might be prescribed more if it wasn't as costly?

[linlow in reply to MariLiz]

Not a lot.  Not whilst Mercury has a monopoly.

Not whilst it remains off the approved drug list.  My GP's response was 'Uhoh, above my pay grade that'  but he did send me to an endo who was prepared to prescribe it and continues to do so since the the head of my surgery refuses.

It would take a change in nhs policy to make any real difference.  And that would take an awfully awful lot of letters to MPs to get the cart rolling.

[Hidden in reply to linlow]

Do you have to pay for it? I do as my endo only prescribes it privately he cannot prescribe it on the NHS.

[Brubru in reply to Hidden]

Oh no! Id Never be able to afford it. When I was self medicating I bought it online, not sure how much Youre paying but might be cheaper for You? Im considering going to The countries where its cheap and just stocking up just to save The nhs some Money but still I want to talk to MPs and newspapers. This price is big pharma extortioning NHS 

[Hidden in reply to Brubru]

At least you get it on NHs then. Yes I buy it off the internet and it now costs a fortune nearly £100 a month for Armour.

[Brubru in reply to Hidden]

That's a lot! The cheaper brands don't do it for you? I did better on nature throid and even Thyroid S than I ever did in Levo. Then February this year I've decided to try T3 and it seems this is the most appropriate treatmentfor me.  I bought from the Internet first and now NHS endo prescribed. 

[Hidden in reply to Brubru]

Tried Nature throid about 6 weeks ago and all my swellings and pain came back within 5 days. Ordered Thyroid S 5 weeks ago and still haven't received it. New 3g of Armour turned up over 2 weeks ago but I am no better which was my original dose although 3g tablet spilt rather than a 2g and 1g per day. I am not now sure if it was changing to Nature Throid that caused it or whether it is a coincidence and I need a higher dose. Had a blood test this am and have an appointment with endo in 2 weeks so will have to see.

[Brubru in reply to Hidden]

T3 wedding2000. NDT they never prescribed. I took it for one year and it was an improvement from Levo. But t3 has been better so far. Time will tell. 

[linlow in reply to Hidden]

No mine prescribes on the nhs but, to be honest, I am thinking about buying it online as I am so tight fisted that I even begrudge someone else paying that much on my behalf 😅

[Hidden in reply to linlow]

Is that T3 or NDT? I did mange to get T3 on NHS.

[linlow in reply to Hidden]

Ahh no, sorry, my mistook   I asked about NDT last time I saw him.  He said that I might be able to get it from my GP (I think he was suggesting a named person prescription) but he had no access to it.

[Brubru in reply to linlow]

Same here linlow! 

[Hidden in reply to Brubru]

Yes others can get NDT on NHS in other counties it just depends on where you live and your GP which is very annoying.

[linlow]

That is the problem with Mercury having a monopoly in this country.  And a knock on effect of the nhs' reluctance to supply it - so it is in effect a self-inflicted cost.  I do agree, though, that it would make more sense to get a boat load organised like they used to do for raiding the French supermarkets on booze trips.  Being tight fisted I am seriously considering paying for it myself from a foreign supplier.