Pharmacy advice please

[StillEverHopeful]

Slightly off topic but I’m hoping someone can help..

I have problems with Teva medications. I can get not Teva levo from my chemist but am now having problems finding Clomipramine 10mg x 3 in anything other than Teva and have phoned many pharmacies,unsuccessfully, in a quest for it I know some of you use a German pharmacy for your doctors prescription of t3 so was wondering if it might be the way I need to go for my clomipramine...

Any advice on who the reputable German pharmacy is / how to go about it with an NHS prescription.

Is it better that you PM me?

Thanking you all for your help and wishing you a good 2019.

[MaisieGray]

Currently you can have your UK prescription dispensed across the EU, apart from Switzerland I think, so it doesn't necessarily have to be Germany. However, if you are wanting to have it dispensed and sent to you by post, not every pharmacy will want to do that. You can find a couple of Germany pharmacies here, who have been willing to dispense & post meds to the UK: thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/treatm...

Note that any UK-specific entitlements, such as exemption from payment, will not apply outside the UK. The BNF states that Clomipramine is between £1.15 - £6.72 x 28 10 mg tablets, but may be different outside the UK. You will also have to ensure that the prescription is written appropriately for whichever country - for instance, in Germany they dispense liothyronine hydrochloride and not liothyronine sodium as is the case with UK T3, in 20 mcg doses and multiples of 100 tablets; I'm not aware of how Clomipramine may need to be specified, but think it is known as Clomipramin (no "e") in Germany. You would need to first check how any prospective pharmacy requires the prescription to be written. However, would it not be simpler to ask your local pharmacy to source a non-Teva brand, and if they can't, or can't be bothered as is sometimes the case, might another pharmacy help you - their wholesalers are generally able to source widely and internationally, but pharmacies may tend to order in only the cheapest, or that which is on offer.

[StillEverHopeful in reply to MaisieGray]

Thanks I’ll have a look at the links later tonight.

I’ve tried about 6 different local and independent pharmacies and no one will help. They just say “take antihistamines” to stop the itching and “it’s the same active ingredient” as though I am making it up. So frustrating I’m willing to pay privately until supplies sorted.

I don’t mind where it comes from just so long as it’s legitimate. Looks like a long evening on the internet ahead researching European pharmacies... have already tried online U.K. pharmacies & they don’t even recognise it in the search (double checked my spelling too)

[MaisieGray in reply to StillEverHopeful]

I empathise. I recently had a similar conversation with my new pharmacist who actually said that all he was concerned about was ordering in the correct active ingredient and didn't worry about the excipients .... I don't tend to have a problem with excipients, or swapping brands myself, and one of my anti-hypertensives is sometimes Teva, sometimes not; but I pointed out that such is its potential impact our treatment, that we are required to have a thyroid function test each time we swap Levo brands - that came as a surprise to him. My own issue was that one of my meds had been supplied in the dreaded white tub, and was branded by a something or other Pharma co, that when I checked, turned out to be merely a wholesaler not a manufacturer so who knows where those tablets came from. But back to your Clomipramine, the BNF is listing 10 different brands of the 10 mg dose, so 9 other than Teva (although some might be repackaging for Boots and LLoyds, I don't know) but nevertheless, it's not as if it's a case of Teva or nothing. It might be an idea to contact the national meds by post pharmaceutical companies, whose stock and/or sourcing might be wider-based.

[Kipsy in reply to StillEverHopeful]

BENNEWITZ Pharmacy in Germany is very simple to deal with. No need for your prescription to state hydrochloride- it’s enough to say liothyronine 20mcg. I’ve used them twice & their service is prompt. You order online and pay by card then they send you an email telling you where to send your prescription. Don’t send it ‘signed for’ though- ordinary airmail us best or you run the risk of it being returned if there’s no one to sign for it.