T3 supply By Chemist affected by Brexit?

[eghjm100]

Hi I have been told by my Chemist that they cannot get the brand Morningside T3 because of Brexit ! could this really be true? they say they can get Teva but that does not work so well for me. should I change chemist or will they all be having problems? is any one else finding problems? #it's hard enough getting prescribed without supply probelms!

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

eghjm100

Methinks your pharmacist is telling porkies.

Morningside is a UK company

morningsidehealthcare.com/a...

Morningside Pharmaceuticals Ltd is an award winning innovator, manufacturer, wholesaler, distributor and supplier of high quality generic medicines and healthcare products to the UK and international export markets.

•Registered UK pharmacy group with over 25 years of retail pharmacy experience.

In the United Kingdom, our products are readily available through short and main-line pharmaceutical wholesalers as well as large pharmacy chains.

Contact us

MORNINGSIDE HEALTHCARE

General Enquiry Department

Morningside House

Unit C, Harcourt Way

Meridian Business Park

Leicester

LE19 1WP

T: [phone]

F: [phone]

E: [e-mail]

W: morningsidehealthcare.com

Maybe contact them and ask if your pharmacist is correct, and if he is telling porkies tell him he's been found out

[eghjm100 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you seasidesusie I had a feeling it might be down to cost outlay and did point out to the chemist that as they were my designated chemist so they were guaranteed my patronage, not now though

[helvella Administrator in reply to SeasideSusie]

While I 100% agree with everything else, oddly Liothyronine is listed on Morningside Pharmaceuticals but not Morningside Healthcare!

morningsidepharm.com

Quite possibly it wouldn't matter which you contacted.

Do let us know what they say - whatever that is.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

I picked up Morningside yesterday

Try small independent pharmacies, they are far more helpful

Collect your paper prescription back up and go elsewhere

[eghjm100 in reply to SlowDragon]

This was a small independent but was recently changed hands but kept the name so I don't know who owns it now

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to eghjm100]

Oh dear

Took me ages to find a helpful one

Hope you get sorted

[Hidden in reply to eghjm100]

Obviously a staunch Remainer

[Barb1949]

My chemist has also changed to Teva but when I asked yesterday she told me it is only because of price as Teva is cheapest. She says they have not had a problem obtaining Morningside.

The prescription can stipulate which brand but if they really cant get it this will be difficult. It does appear to be mainly down to price in my opinion.

It might be worth asking at another pharmacy if they can get Morningside.

[fortunata in reply to Barb1949]

I had this problem with my pharmacist. They told me I had to have Teva (which makes me feel unwell) because it was the cheapest. You need to tell them that there are pennies of difference between Teva, Morningside and MercuryPharma.

[Barb1949 in reply to fortunata]

I have had oth Morningside and Teva now with no problems. My new prescription this week has a mixture of both. Such is life lol 😉

[Pixielula]

My last prescription was morningside, that was three weeks ago! Am putting another one in today so will see what I get

[helvella Administrator]

Who is to know if there is a brexit aspect? Nonetheless, BBC News has this from yesterday:

Brexit: Is NHS already finding it hard to get medicines?

Hugh Pym Health editor

18 December 2018

Supply shortages and rising prices for some medicines are being reported by pharmacists and GPs. The possibility of a no-deal Brexit is being blamed.

So what is going on in the pharmaceutical world and what might it mean for patients?

There is nothing new about occasional shortages of certain types of medicine.

But there are reports of more acute problems than usual and some are citing a market reaction to the risk of the UK leaving the European Union without a deal.

The organisation that negotiates drug pricing on behalf of pharmacies told BBC Radio 5 Live's Wake up to Money that Brexit is already affecting the supply and price of some key generic drugs.

The programme was contacted by a patient unable to obtain the usual anti-inflammatory for her arthritis who was told she had to have a substitute because of shortages.

Simon Dukes, chief executive of the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC), said there were supply shortages for a number of reasons and that "concerns around a no-deal Brexit are likely to exacerbate those ongoing issues".

In a letter to the Health Select Committee he referred to recent price rises, saying: "The surge may be due to a combination of factors including Brexit planning and contingency."

Generic medicines

The medicines market is complex. The big pharma companies market their own-brand drugs and the overall cost to the NHS is capped each year.

Once a patent expires, drugs become "generic" which means that any manufacturer and distributor can make and sell them.

The prices of these generic medicines rise and fall in a market which can be opaque.

Pharmacists have to pay the going rate and claim back from the NHS according to an agreed tariff but sometimes that tariff doesn't keep up with market moves and that leaves pharmacies out of pocket.

It is the price and supply of these generics which have caused concern amongst pharmacies.

Their cash flow comes under severe pressure if the extra costs of the generic drugs are not covered quickly by the NHS.

Sometimes wholesalers cannot immediately replenish supplies at pharmacies and that means disappointment for GPs and patients.

The government has told manufacturers of both branded and generic drugs to ensure that six weeks' worth of supplies have been built up to ensure continuity in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

This exercise has been largely successful.

Hospitals and patients have been told not to build up their own private supplies.

Unofficial stockpiling

But the PSNC suspects that there is unofficial stockpiling of generic drugs somewhere in the medicines supply chain.

A combination of that and distributors possibly raising prices in anticipation of there being no deal are factors in the recent market moves.

In response to the BBC Radio 5 Live story, there have been tweets from GPs, pharmacists and patients pointing to difficulties obtaining certain drugs.

There is clearly a feeling that these problems go beyond the occasional supply issues seen in the system.

The Department of Health and Social Care told the BBC: "Our number one priority is to ensure the continued supply of medicines and we work closely with industry and partners in the health system to help prevent disruption.

"The department has well-established processes to manage and mitigate the small number of supply problems that may arise at any one time due to manufacturing or distribution issues."

The British Generic Manufacturers Association denied there had been a "surge" in prices and said global market forces as well as Brexit were at play.

The association added: "We are working with the government, in the same forums as the PSNC, to ensure that patients can continue to receive their medicines in the case of a no-deal Brexit.

"If all in the supply chain are following the government's advice and not hoarding supplies of medicines, this should have no impact on current prices."

The government's line is that contingency plans for a no-deal Brexit are in place, including chartering aircraft to bring in drugs with a short shelf-life.

But there are concerns in the health world as the UK's departure from the EU draws nearer.

Some question whether a six-week official stockpile is enough. Others point to the recent price rises of generic drugs as a pointer to what might happen in the event of a disorderly Brexit.

bbc.co.uk/news/health-46597425

[Hidden in reply to helvella]

I have a nasty suspicious mind when it comes to politics. Especially when it comes to politicians doing all they can to avoid, or in this case being excruciatingly slow about, doing what the people voted for. Convincing us that it was a bad idea all along, and making sure the prophesied disaster happens is just part of the game.

Why should there be shortages when Brexit hasn't even happened yet?

[MissGrace]

Brexit hasn’t even happened yet (and doesn’t look likely to at the moment it’s all such a political mess.) Even the current vote isn’t about Brexit, it’s about the interim agreement for the start of the real process. It is a useful scapegoat for lots of things though. As said above, it’s much more likely they have changed to Teva because of the cost.

[Treepie]

The last heading on Helvella's quote is most likely.Stockpiling for subsequent profiteering raher than Brexit preparation although the latter is happening.

[Pixielula]

Following on from my earlier reply, I have just spoken to my chemist Teva T3 is £129 per pack morningside is £249 per pack, due to the fact I now have rumblings from my GP surgery about my being on T3 and also I seem to be fine on teva. I told them to go ahead and keep the teva for me. Thats nearly halve the cost to the NHS.....

[helvella Administrator in reply to Pixielula]

Interesting that the British National Formulary still quotes £242.11 for all makes.

bnf.nice.org.uk/medicinal-f...

I wondered when the price changed occurred? And when it will be reflected in BNF?

[Pixielula in reply to helvella]

Chemist said that they had a notification of a special offer, so they ordered three months worth then notice on my notes a preference for morningside. So could send the Teva back if I wanted the morningside. It was then I asked if there was much difference in price, she laughed and told me the respective prices. I have never had a problem with teva, so I’m happy for them to keep them for me.... even that is a massive saving.

[fortunata in reply to helvella]

That’s what I’d heard too, Helvella.