UK supplier of T3 - Liothyronine in drug pricing probe update

[Lintably]

pharmaphorum.com/news/conco...

#T3 #Liothyronine #hypothyroidism

[shaws Administrator]

Very interesting - thanks for posting.

[Lintably in reply to shaws]

Not that it helps much, but nice to know someone is looking into it!

[Rapunzel]

From your link 'In June this year The Times newspaper revealed (my italics) that Concordia was among a number of pharmaceutical companies exploiting a loophole in NHS pricing regulations, allowing them to raise prices on off-patent medicines by up to 12,500%.'

They didn't 'reveal'. They made it known to those outside of the communities needing these pence-to-produce meds. The freaking nhs would surely have been aware of an uplift in their meds bill for these items of £262million of our tax dollars last year alone. So why was nothing done until the Fourth Estate became involved? 😠

[Lintably]

Doctors and chemists certainly aware. Why no one within NHS taking action is certainly a question that needs answering.

It's a Canadian company price gouging. I almost expected it to be the UK making sure that another UK Company was getting extra profit...but no...inexplicable! Not even a case of them preferring an EU made product since the Sandoz that I am on is EU made and only £35 to 30 tablets.

The NHS usually uses the cheapest generics. I would love to know who set this up and why. I have written today to my MP and the health secretary. I want answers and a further investigation.

[Lintably]

Today I have written to my MP regarding the T3 situation as Dr Toft suggested. I have also sent this email to The Health Secretary:

Dear Health Secretary,

I am writing regarding the ongoing situation with Liothyronine (T3) medication for hypothyroidism.

There are several concerning issues:

1) there is some sort of single supplier agreement in place that makes it difficult for GPs and Endocrinologists to order other readily available generics at a fraction of the cost without creating a Named Patient prescription. Many doctors are reluctant to use Named Patient prescriptions.

2) readily available generic Liothyronine ranges in cost between £10-£35. The UK single supplier arrangement instead uses a Mercury Pharma product that is being investigated as part of the investigation into Concordia Pharmaceuticals price gouging. This UK preferred supplier is currently charging £258 for 28 of the 20mcg tablets. Many of the generics are supplied in batches of 30 tablets in 25mcg strength. Hence the UK preferred supplier that is under investigation is producing a less potent product and fewer tablets for an extortionate price. pharmaphorum.com/news/conco...

3) GPs have been instructed not to prescribe Liothyronine due to the extortionate cost. This leaves patients in need of this hormone in poor health. It is clearly far more sensible to lift the single supplier arrangement and instruct Endocrinologists and GPs to use other less expensive generics as they do with other drugs. A few Endocrinologists are now thinking out of the box and using the Named Patient prescription route to access the generics as a workaround. For instance, I am now on the German Sandoz 25mcg tablets at a cost of £35 for 30 tablets. I require 3 tablets per day. This is a saving of £669 per month. This is more than £8,000 per year just for myself. The savings to the NHS by allowing other generic Liothyronine to be prescribed ASAP is eye watering!

4) There are also ongoing patient complaints of variations in potency from batch to batch with the UK preferred Mercury Pharma product. Hence not only is it more expensive, it doesn't work very well. That is consistent with my personal experience. Since being changed to the Sandoz product I feel much better! I have lost a stone in 3 months, my energy is much improved, my palpitations have stopped, my hair is thicker, my insomnia is gone. In contrast, the Mercury product seemed to peak very quickly then leave me very tired again. I have been on it for many years and found it utterly impossible to lose weight. Sadly, to achieve this improvement to my health it required finding an endocrinologist willing to write a Named Patient prescription and then a Pharmacist that could pursue the prescription and request permission from the health board to fill the prescription. Many patients are not lucky enough to be able to achieve this and are unwell because of the difficulty in getting a prescription for a low cost effective medication.

5) An investigation should be started into why the NHS is only authorising the extortionate and less effective variable potency version of Liothyronine.

I look forward to your prompt attention to this matter. I'm hoping to hear that the restriction against other generics has been lifted and the instruction to GPs and Endocrinologists to not prescribe this essential drug amended.

[Lintably]

If they lost the NHS contract their stock will be in freefall. I wouldn't shed a tear if they go bankrupt.

[Rapunzel]

Not dissimilar

money.cnn.com/2016/08/25/ne...

and this is what the reptile in charge, aka 'the most reviled man in America' is doing these days

newyorker.com/magazine/2017...

Nevermind. We can sleep at night 😴 well, anytime, really 😫

I'll wager that he has trouble answering his mother if she asks, What have you done today to make me feel proud? 😲