Actavis & Wockhardt no longer available - Thyroid UK

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Actavis & Wockhardt no longer available

Rennixon profile image
35 Replies

So upset - just got in from collecting my prescription & been told that Actavis & Wockhardt are no longer manufacturing levothyroxine!!!! I cannot take Teva because if the acacia in it which upsets my stomach. My pharmacist has ordered as much Actavis as he can get but as I take 125mg daily I’m going to have to cut the tablets. But then what do I do?

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Rennixon profile image
Rennixon
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35 Replies
Greenwall profile image
Greenwall

I've no idea on this one, but I prefer the wockhardt tablets, so do keep me posted on your findings, please.

Rennixon profile image
Rennixon in reply toGreenwall

Hi Greenwall ive just received an email from Wockhardt & they are NOT ending production. Hope your pharmacist is better than mine.

Greenwall profile image
Greenwall in reply toRennixon

Thanks Rennixon.

Kazbe profile image
Kazbe in reply toGreenwall

Hi Greenwall

I have been to Boots chemist and they were happy to find a supplier of Wockhardt for me . I'm in the UK so if your struggling and in the UK Boots should help .

Kazbe 😀

lynmynott profile image
lynmynottPartnerThyroid UK

Hi Rennixon,

I have just spoken with Actavis and they have plenty of stock and as far as the lady in customer services knew, they had no plans to stop production.

I'm afraid I've heard this kind of thing many times before and it nearly always turns out to be untrue. Actavis have told me that if your pharmacist is having problems getting stock he should telephone them on 0800 373 573 and they will sort it out.

I won't bother telephoning Wockhart because I think your pharmacist is mistaken.

SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering in reply tolynmynott

SNAP lynmynott :)

Rennixon profile image
Rennixon in reply tolynmynott

Thank you. I was so upset (silly I know) but it was such a shock. I have used this independent pharmacy for a long time & he’s always come up trumps, so this was a huge surprise.

I will give him the phone number. I’ve also tried to contact my surgeries pharmacist as apparently she & my pharmacist have been discussing the possibility of liquid levo.

Thanks for putting my mind at rest.

Greenwall profile image
Greenwall in reply toRennixon

Liquid would be better than fiddly little tablets, but not sure I'll manage liquids with eyes shut and under duvet, which is usual place for taking meds..... ;-)

Rennixon profile image
Rennixon in reply toGreenwall

Ha ha! Same here 😜

Angelic69 profile image
Angelic69 in reply toGreenwall

me too

Jelita profile image
Jelita in reply tolynmynott

I've been taking 100mg Actavis ones for a few years now just upped to 125mg and been given Tevo 25mg...Chemist said Actavis no longer produce the 25mg...disbelieving me rang Actavis and it was confirmed they no longer have the 25mg in production...so looks like a mix for me!

Seems it's just the 25mg one they don't produce.

Rennixon profile image
Rennixon in reply toJelita

Hi Jelita

Wockhardt do a 25mcg which is the one I took with Actavis 100’s. No acacia in either which is what was upsetting my stomach. Now on 150mcg all Actavis 🙂

Jelita profile image
Jelita in reply toRennixon

Thanks for info Rennixon appreciated...will have to use the ones they gave me for now...didn't realise they were different 'til I got home...rang Pharmacy and they wont take them back once left premises...but will ask them to source Wockhardt for me.

Rennixon profile image
Rennixon in reply toJelita

Also a simple email to the manufacturer sorted the problem for me- I now have prescription in hand & ask if they’ve Actavis in stock before I hand it over. It’s YOUR prescription & you should be able to ask for what you want. Some pharmacists are very precious about the green paper once they have in it their hands, so I don’t hand it over until I know they have the right brand. Unfortunately my pharmacist ( which told me they no longer produced ) has now lost my custom forever & dinted my faith in the whole profession ☹️

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministrator in reply toJelita

So far as I am aware, Actavis have never produced a 25 microgram tablet. Certainly for many years they have not.

So it is rather odd of them to confirm they "no longer" have it in production.

Rennixon profile image
Rennixon in reply tohelvella

True- I think it was more a question of who produced it other than Teva.

Just FYI ( as someone may be searching)

The 50’s I now have are packaged in a Almus box (gold in colour) which is actually Actavis. I was sceptical when the Boots pharmacist ( I don’t normally support this pharmacy coming from Nottingham & all) said they were the same but he did show me the blister packs within & the info leaflet which is all labels as Actavis. He also checked that acacia wasn’t an ingredient.

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministrator in reply toRennixon

The Almus (Boots) and Northstar (Lloyds) boxes actually have the Product Licence details on the outside - bottom edge of box, last I looked. :-)

Rennixon profile image
Rennixon in reply tohelvella

Sure do, not sure everyone would look though. I’d never come across them before, but after checking at boots I saw they had the name Actavis &PL number on the side of the packaging- strange though how he didn’t point it out .

Jelita profile image
Jelita in reply tohelvella

I'm sure that's what whoever I spoke to told me...however she may have said they don't have that on production list and not 'no longer on production list'.

SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering

Before any one panics - because I have Actavis brand I have just spoken to Accord Healthcare who make Actavis Levo. They are still available and no plans to discontinue them.

No idea about Wockhardt.

Rennixon profile image
Rennixon in reply toSeasideSusie

Thank you. I will give my pharmacy the finding & see what happens

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

A case of "lazyitus" or more commonly called bull**** from a pharmacy that only wants to supply what's on their shelf

The number of times a Pharmacist has told me Mercury Pharma don't and never have made 25mcg dose!

Funny that considering been taking them 20 plus years

Rennixon profile image
Rennixon in reply toSlowDragon

Oh SlowDragon i know some chains are bull****** but this independent pharmacist has always pulled out the stops before, that’s why I kinda believed him, hence my post.

I will give him the info & speak to the surgeries pharmacist but as you say paper in hand from now on. Thanks

humanbean profile image
humanbean

I think this situation arises quite often because particular chains of chemists get their stocks from particular mass distribution companies. It may be that one particular distribution company runs short of stock for some unknown reason, the pharmacists can't get stock, so they just tell patients the pills they want are being discontinued because it is easier than finding out the actual truth from the horse's mouth.

I would think they upset lots of patients on a regular basis with these stories.

This is why I won't tie myself to a single pharmacist. I'd rather have a paper prescription in my hand which I can physically take to as many pharmacists as I want. (Actually I check by phone before going physically but you know what I mean.)

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministrator in reply tohumanbean

100% agree about getting paper prescriptions.

We then have the option of using any pharmacy that is willing to recognise it - including those in the rest of Europe.

There has been a continual stream of "ask your pharmacist" messages - just the other day, take your sick child to a pharmacist rather than a doctor. If this is the level of their understanding and knowledge, no thank you.

(Yes, there are pharamacists who really put themselves out to help. Not all should be tarred with the same brush.)

humanbean profile image
humanbean in reply tohelvella

I've never been told that a particular prescription product has been discontinued. But I've been told many times that there is a "manufacturing problem". For example, I went through a period when I found it very hard to get hold of ferrous fumarate 210mg. Eventually - it took ages - the pharmacists started selling brands other than Mercury Pharma, which I was perfectly happy with.

Rennixon profile image
Rennixon in reply tohumanbean

So surprised that this pharmacist got it wrong. But prescription in hand from now on I think. Maybe if he thinks he’s loosing my custom he may buck his ideas up! Thanks for the support.

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministrator

Remember that Boots often supply Almus, and Lloyds supply Northstar, both of which are Actavis product in an outer card box branded Almus or Northstar. Turn the box round and it shows Actavis.

Rennixon profile image
Rennixon in reply tohelvella

This is how it all started. I have Actavis 100mg & Wockhardt 25mg the Wockhardt suddenly stopped being supplied in blister packs & came in a bottle. I could see these tablets were different but took them. I soon began to feel sick but the pharmacist insisted they were Wockhardt. I didn’t get a patient leaflet, so asked for the ingredients & sure enough acacia was listed. Acacia is not an ingredient in the blister packs though. And so began the runaround for 25mg’s I could take & the subsequent debacle today.

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministrator in reply toRennixon

It is your RIGHT to a Patient Information Leaflet - for the actual product.

If your eyes are good enough, the markings on the tablets are an excellent indicator.

Rennixon profile image
Rennixon

Thank you all for your great support today and always. X

Rennixon profile image
Rennixon

Quick update- I emailed Wockhardt & they confirmed they are NOT stopping the manufacture of 25mg. They also gave me a phone number for the pharmacist to ring in case he cannot source any. 😊

I am totally bemused by this situation, as it’s not rocket science is it? A few clicks & between us we’ve got the information we needed. Mind boggling how some ppl become qualified professionals 🤨

Hormone-hell profile image
Hormone-hell

Hi,

The only place I have been able to get Actavis is Lloyds pharmacy, is there one near you?

MjM2015 profile image
MjM2015

I'm currently on activas and wockardt Levo so they are still available.

Rennixon profile image
Rennixon in reply toMjM2015

Yes this post is 2 years old

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