I realise that I am very fortunate to have Liothyronine (T3) prescribed through the NHS, but feel that there is an issue with short "use by" with the Mercury Pharma 20mcg tablets that I am supplied with, to the extent that on some occasions I am struggling to get through the tablets before they reach the "use by".
Example: I requested a repeat prescription from my doctor on 28/4/17. A few days later I called at the pharmacy to pick up my tablets and was given tablets that have a “use by” date of 10/8/17. ( Please note that I have read previous posts on whether medication should be taken after the “use by” date and appreciate that there are various views on this.)
My point is that at £9.22 a tablet why should we have to put up with stock that is so close to its “use by”.
This has been an ongoing problem that I initially raised with the pharmacy. We agreed that rather than their system making an automatic order as soon as I pick up a prescription they would wait until I contacted them to say I had made the repeat prescription request from my doctor (thereby cutting out the problem of T3 sitting on their shelves for three months before I am even ready to collect it). The situation did to an extent improve at this point, but with regard to my most recent prescription as outlined above, I queried the date and reminded them of our arrangement and was told that what I had been given had “just come in”.
Thinking the problem was with the pharmacy, I have approached another pharmacy and explained the issue and was told that yes it does come in on a really short “use by”.
I rang Mercury Pharma this morning to try and get to the bottom of it and was told that Liothyronine tablets have a shelf life of just 12 months and was initially told that considering the time it takes tablets to go via a distributor to the pharmacy then it would have a short “use by”. I pointed out, however, that the tablets that I am being given commonly have just over three months shelf life. I was told that the stock for the 10/8/17 had now been “blocked”. (I wonder when that happened, I didn’t have the presence of mind to ask for that date, though obviously AFTER 28/4/17.) I was told that the next batch that was now available had a “use by” of 4/10/17. And thereby the problem continues……
At £9.22 a tablet this is not good service.