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?
Actavis & Wockhardt no longer available - Thyroid UK
Actavis & Wockhardt no longer available
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Rennixon
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I've no idea on this one, but I prefer the wockhardt tablets, so do keep me posted on your findings, please.
Hi Greenwall ive just received an email from Wockhardt & they are NOT ending production. Hope your pharmacist is better than mine.
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.
SNAP lynmynott 
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.
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.
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 🙂
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 ☹️
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.
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.
The Almus (Boots) and Northstar (Lloyds) boxes actually have the Product Licence details on the outside - bottom edge of box, last I looked.
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.
Thank you. I will give my pharmacy the finding & see what happens
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
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
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.)
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.)
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.
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK
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.
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.
Thank you all for your great support today and always. X
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 🤨
Hi,
The only place I have been able to get Actavis is Lloyds pharmacy, is there one near you?
I'm currently on activas and wockardt Levo so they are still available.
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