Perrigo t3 5mcg

[Goodlife1]

Hi can anyone explain to me why the pharmacy quoted £431 for 100 x 5mcg Perrigo t3, when it's £69 in USA. I was thinking of cutting the NHS out of my t3 supply because of the stress (had it withdrawn then reinstated) and getting a private prescription but £431!!! I'd love to find out why Perrigo is so expensive here as it's not licenced and when it's a fraction of the cost in USA. (I know Concordia is a rip off price as it's the only licenced UK supplier.)

[Clutter]

Goodlife1,

Shipping, HMRC & VAT charges, and markup. If you can buy it cheaper from the USA by avoiding the pharmacy's mark up why not use your prescription to do so?

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

The pharmacy will be obtaining it via a "specials" importer - not directly from the USA. That importer has to have the requisite licence and, because they have that, are in a position to make a significant profit.

Why not buy your own from the USA?

[startagaingirl]

Or why not do the same as a lot of us and buy 20 or 25 mcg t3 from Europe and a pill cutter and just cut them up? It works out to be much cheaper.

[Sue777]

Hi I get mine from Greece. Just over a Euro for a months supply of T3 25mcg and then use a pill cuttter to cut up.

[Marz in reply to Sue777]

You now need a prescription for T3 in Greece 😊

[Sue777 in reply to Marz]

Thanks for letting me know. Luckily I got 2 years supply last summer and have used online prescription service in the past so hope this continues. I have signed the petition. I cannot understand why it is so expensive in Uk.

[Marz in reply to Sue777]

Are you able to use your on-line prescription for T3 here in Greece ?

Glad you are well stocked.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Marz]

Marz,

I think there is a touch of confusion here. I think that Sue77 is meaning she used a service which issues a prescription and supplies the medicine. (The better ones seem to have a doctor who reviews requests and signs prescriptions.) I have never heard of such a service sending a prescription to the patient (or another pharmacy) for them to purchase elsewhere.

I don't think that the UK online prescriptions provided by NHS doctors can work with pharmacies not signed up in the UK to the central systems. To use an NHS prescription you need to request a printed form.

[Marz in reply to helvella]

Thank you. I was just curious and obviously misunderstood ! So does that system still work in the UK for T3 ?

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Marz]

Online prescribing services would be charging full Mercury Pharma prices - if they even offer to write a prescription for T3 at all. Most people who know they want T3 would probably choose to go elsewhere! And I can't imagine most of the prescribing services offering to do specials.

[Heloise]

This has been a complaint for quite a while. It's unfortunate that exploitation of people who are ill is rampant. Perhaps you heard of the thousand percent increase of the allergy pen in the U.S. If they can get away with it, they DO it.