Teva v Actavis

[Jefner]

I have noticed recently that my scripts have been coming through as the Teva brand instead of the Actavis that I have always had. My T3 was Mercury Pharma and on checking with the chemist they said the brand is Teva (changed pharmacies recently due to some charging for delivery). My Propranolol is now coming through from Relon Chem and Diazepam is now Teva

I can't decide whether I am having problems with them and just wondering if anyone is experiencing problems with change of brand.

Is it the NHS cutting costs again and fobbing us off with cheap generic rubbish?

[SlowDragon Administrator]

You really don't want to accept several different changes at once. Not sure which is causing upset

Teva and Morningside Healthcare are new NHS T3 options. Both are very similar price to MP T3.

Not everyone gets on with different brands

I prefer Morningside Healthcare, but it has substantially increased my FT3, compared to MP T3 at exactly same dose (endo won't be happy)

Lots of people have reported on here no liking Teva in Levo or T3 (they are the only lactose free options in T4 and T3)

[Shelley1954 in reply to SlowDragon]

Oh thats interesting, have just had 1st bloods done on Morningside & GP wants to speak to me!!!

[Jefner in reply to SlowDragon]

Morningside? That's a new one on me. I have gone back to my original chemist who will give me the brand's I normally have although with all my symptoms from other conditions I don't know what suits and what doesn't but reading on here Teva isn't popular

[Shelley1954]

I think the pharmacies set up various contracts with the drug companies and anything outside of that contract costs them dearly, but I believe you can get your GP to write the make you want on the script and they should then be able to order it without excess cost. This certainly applies to Boots as they told me, probably the same for all.

[Clutter in reply to Shelley1954]

Shelley1954,

Downside of having the make specified on the prescription is that if it is unavailable your pharmacist won't be able to dispense an alternative make and you will have to get a new prescription.

[Clutter]

Jefner,

Actavis T4 is generic and Mercury Pharma T3 is also generic.

If you prefer Actavis T4 and Mercury Pharma T3 and specific makes of Propranolol and Diazepam tell your pharmacist that. If the pharmacist won't order the makes you prefer ask for your prescription back and take it elsewhere.

[Jefner in reply to Clutter]

Actavis is the generic brand? I didn't know that. Which brand isn't?

[Clutter in reply to Jefner]

Jefner,

All UK Levothyroxine and T3 is generic.

[helvella Administrator in reply to Jefner]

Don't get hung up on the "generic versus brand" arguments.

When a newer medicine loses patent protection, we often see competitors launch generics. At the same time, the cost of the original branded version usually reduces. Sometimes these generics are sufficiently different to be noticeable, sometimes to the extent that substitution is not allowed. Even then, the generic is not necessarily in any meaningful way worse or lower quality - though it could be.

For levothyroxine (T4) and liothyronine (T3), I have never located a patent from the 1950s, and if there were one, it would have expired nigh on half a century ago.

The differences we see in acceptability can be dramatic. For example, we have some who find Teva levothyroxine the first they have ever done well on. Whereas many others find it the worst they have ever taken. But it is not a matter of one product being branded and another generic. It is of clear and identifiable differences between the various products.

In the specific case of liothyronine in the UK, the reason that we no longer have a branded product is that the company that used to produce and sell Tertroxin decided to "de-brand" it. (Almost certainly to exploit a pricing loophole which saw the price shoot up.) Whether it was the branded or the de-branded, it was always claimed to be the exact same product.

[Jefner in reply to helvella]

Thank u

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Yes in the case of T3 - when it was a branded product the price was tightly controlled by NHS regulators

De-branding to a generic medication deliberately by the pharmaceutical company enabled them exploit legal loophole & increase the price of generic medications at extreme rate, there was no legislation in place to stop this until last summer 2017

[Angel48]

I've had issues with both Teva and Actavis levothyroxine. After taking them for 6 weeks I feel so poorly. All the symptoms of low thyroid function. My thyroid condition has been under control for many years. No issues until I was given the Teva new formulation ie no lactose. Then when I raised concerns I was given a new prescription all great while taking Mercury or North Star however my last two prescriptions I was given Actavis and 6 weeks later I feel poorly. I researched and found that Teva, Actavis and Almus are all part of the same pharmaceutical company.

Don't know what the issue is but I know I don't feel well.

I feel as if I haven't been taking my tablets. Cramp, cold, headache, very very low mood which is not me. I'm tired all the time.

Would just like some answers but above all else I just want to feel better.