T3

[siannie]

My endo given me a private prescription for T3 suggested I get it from Spain or France as much cheaper than U.K. .

Anyone done this? Or can I obtain it from a chemist in the U.K. !

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You can't get T3 from Spain, they don't have it there.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

You can indeed take it to a UK pharmacist and get the medicine dispensed.

Whether you can afford it is the big issue! The latest high price seen here was about £350 for 28 tablets of 20 micrograms.

You can, legally, use your prescription to get a medicine dispensed by a pharmacy in any other EU country. (Though the individual countries, and even individual pharamcies, may vary in their responses.) This can sometimes be done by internet ordering - e.g. sending a photo or scan of your prescription. One problem is that some Liothyrone products are in 25 microgram tablets - where I expect your prescription to be for 20 microgram tablets. Even the next-most-expensive EU source is massively less expensive.

The German product Sanofi (formerly Henning) Thybon may be suitable as that is made in 20 microgram tablets.

I can't remember seeing anyone, ever, getting it from Spain.

Your other option is to buy without prescription from one of the various sources in several countries.

[dang in reply to helvella]

Hey there Thybon is still made by Henning, Sanofi is a parent company to Henning, and a bunch of other pharmaceutical companies. I have Thybon, I live in Germany. (I know this was a bit of a pointless post as you could find it by search either Sanofi or Henning), maybe I just wanted to feel useful

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to dang]

Yes - you are quite right.

Trouble is, sometimes when listed we see Sanofi, sometimes Henning, sometimes Sanofi Henning, sometimes just plain old Thybon on its own.

I was under the impression that the Henning branding was being downplayed - possibly to be removed at some point and just reflecting the parent. Quite possibly I am flat out wrong on that?

[dang in reply to helvella]

Hehe I think you might be mistaken, but understandably so. From my experience Henning is a big company in Germany, and any common drug is made by Henning (with Sanofi also listed on the box). Less common drugs say only Sanofi. I switched from t4 75mcg and T3 5mcg (both Henning and commonly prescribed) to a comibination pill that has 10/100 t3/t4, it's called Prothyrid same blister packs and box as Henning, but it only says Sanofi on this one, I think its much less often prescribed so it's only marketed by the parent company. (But im 99% certain it's the same exact factory just by looking at the product).

[Mitch27 in reply to dang]

Hi dang.. you seem quite clued up on this t3 stuff .. my doc just recommended it but endo won't prescribe as he is nhs doctor but I see you say we can get a private prescription from them. Can you buy over the counter in germany or script only? I can't believe after years of suffering a gp comes up with solution and I can't afford this lifeline because of stupid £300 price!! Argh!

[dang in reply to Mitch27]

That is incredibly unfair, sorry to hear that your Endo won't prescribe it. In Germany you need a script to get t3, and it's tricky to get a doctor to approve, but likely easier than in the U.K. since it doesn't have such a huge price tag here.

I really hope you find a solution soon!

[Mitch27 in reply to dang]

Thanks

[EbonyEvans in reply to helvella]

Spain is a no no. I was in Barcelona two weeks ago and it's not on their list nor an alternative. I can only suggest Greece and there is a nightmare as they have a 'distribution' issue.

[activelazy]

What is a private prescription? If doctor thinks you need this medicine then why can't you get it in the normal way. Like any other prescription?

Sorry I m inexperienced.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to activelazy]

A private prescription is one that is not written on an NHS FP10 prescription form.

It is not eligible to be dispensed for standard prescription fee (or exemption) but the medicine must be paid for in full.

Doctors may charge simply for writing a private prescription. Sometimes that fee is included in a consultation fee. Sometimes a doctor may choose not to charge.

Historically private prescriptions were sometimes scrawled by a doctor on a piece of plain paper. I do not know if that still happens at all or if it must be letterhead or whatever.

If the NHS will not supply a prescription-only medicine, this is how you get hold of it legally in the UK.

[activelazy in reply to helvella]

Thank you. So it means you get it when you see a constant privately.

[siannie]

Activelady - I saw a private endo so he gave me the prescription. My GP at this moment does not know I had gone down the private route. I was so fed up with how I felt and the lack of understanding I went to see a private GP for advice . He arranged a full spectrum of tests (which was not cheap). However, as I was so poorly I wanted to know what was going on . From the results he referred me to the endo guy. My endo has now written to my own GP to involve him with my care so I'm hoping in the future they will liaise .

However, I do believe you can also ask for private prescriptions from your GP, someone was telling me yesterday that's what they did and the private prescription was actually cheaper than if they'd had an NHS one !!

No wonder the NHS is losing money.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to siannie]

A packet of paracetamol can be obtained for 16p (or something like that) in a supermarket.

If it were prescribed, in addition to that fundamental cost, there is the whole management of prescriptions - the pharmacy processing the paperwork, the NHS paying the pharmacy, the usual management/adminsitrative processes.

A private prescription does not need the same management.

Also, if the NHS prescription charge is more, doesn't that potentially mean the NHS is actually making money rather than losing it on that item?

[activelazy in reply to siannie]

I think I should do that do. I can't cope with speed of NHS anymore. NHS is good for serious emergencies.

NHS does not believe in

"Prevention is better than cure"

Putting a poster up in your surgery saying - see your doctor before it's too late- has no meaning. Just another example of wastage of resources.

Doctors are far too overpaid. A pack of vitamin D that I buy OTC costs me about £8 but NHS pays £25 for it. A 17 inch TV by the side of beds in hospital wards costs NHS £17,000.00 each!!!

A doctor friend of mine works only 3 days in a week and her both children go to private school paying £1000 each per month as school fee. And she still has a lavish lifestyle. Why would they want to work more. They won't.

NHS is a conglomerate of doctors. They have made it what it is. If you question something obviously illogical, they say "that's how NHS is".

I call it National Hopeless Service".

I appreciate some people might have had positive experience but I have not.

I pay hundreds of pounds in national insurance every month and have done so for 12 years now. What did I get in return? 👎

If I was the boss I would reduce their salaries to 1/4 then they will work more and be available more. But as I said they have created it so they made sure from the beginning that they get paid excellent.

I can remember one of the junior doctors during rows with Jeremy Hunt saying on TV news "this job is not as lucrative now". This clearly shows that it's money that matters than anything else. I think as long as there are patients, a doctor's job is lucrative enough. After all you become doctor to make a positive change to people's health. Money is important but can't possibly be the first reason to become a doctor.

Sitting in bed, looking out of the window, not being able to do the things I used to is so frustrating.

This forum keeps us going though.

[dang]

Since you have a prescription you may be able to order it from Germany there are 2 manufacturers of pure T3 here. Thybon is the most common, 20mcg tablets, a box of 50 costs be around 20 euro, you can order from online pharmacies (I hope a U.K. Prescription works, maybe another member could chime in on that).

[siannie]

Being stupid here - online pharmacies ?

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to siannie]

siannie,

There are numerous pharmacies which will dispense on receiving a valid prescription both within the UK and across the EU and beyond. In general, as dang suggests, a UK prescription can be valid across the EU. (Whether an individual pharmacist, in an individual pharmacy, will accept your prescription is another matter. You need to check.)

Obviously no use to you, but the UK list is here:

nhs.uk/Service-Search/pharm...

I cannot recommend any EU pharmacy because I have not used one for years - but I have in the past. Had to scan or photograph my NHS FP10 prescription and email that. And had to pay in full - the NHS will not pay.