Daily mail 17/7/2019

[dylansmum]

Did anyone read the article in the Daily Mail regarding T3? The cost of T3 (Liothyronine) has risen from £4.46 per 28 tabs in 2010 ish to £204.00 for 28 tabs now! The article stated that GPs are telling us T3 doesn't work for us, and won't prescribe it anymore. Fact is GP's are banned from prescribing T3 because of the cost.

[overnighthearingloss]

Many of the drug companies are multi nationals these days. I recently saw this.

nypost.com/2019/02/07/how-t...

Maybe they are trying to recoup profits through the NHS?

[lavendergirl]

Hello.

I didn’t see the article but the extortionate pricing of T3 is a complete scandal.

Don’t really know the cause: pharma’s greed or government’s manipulation to create an excuse for its order to GP to stop prescribing it.

I get mine in France where it costs €4.60 for 30 tablets of 0.25mg.

Sadly, most GPs have no proper knowledge of thyroid issues and couldn’t care less to improve it so they follow orders.

Meanwhile people are left in limbo feeling like zombies with half a life.

Got to be resourceful to survive that landscape.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Media coverage since 2016

mjauk.org/wp-content/upload...

thyroidtrust.org/media-cove...

medscape.com/viewarticle/90...

[Gingersnap202]

T3 is the only thing that does work for me! ...Yes, it is expensive, but I personally would be dead without it. It costs me $600 US for a three month supply.

[Gingersnap202 in reply to Gingersnap202]

I am incredibly fortunate that my late husbands Union still covers my health insurance.

[debra_bill]

Mexico for me

[McPammy]

I read that although GP’s cannot prescribe T3 anymore that Endocrinologists can in England. Not sure about Wales, Scotland and NI.

I can get a years supply from Germany for £57 including delivery costs. I do now ,however,get it on the NHS. This was recently prescribed by a NHS Endocrinologist in the north west. I don’t think he was very pleased writing out the script. I was informed later on by my GP that the NHS Endocrinologist was reprimanded by his superior for not prescribing sooner.

[Howard39 in reply to McPammy]

Hi

There will be v serious issues if we leave the EU. I saw an article some months ago that said 2 million people in the UK send their prescriptions to Germany. That will stop and all those people will be scouring the world to find some.

It not true though, GPs have to capacity to prescribe t3. In my area it’s been stopped due to cost but a friend an hour away from my has no problems still getting hers on the nhs.

[DawnieA in reply to McPammy]

I have been requesting T3 from my endo for months. I’ve been told they have to put a business case forward. Which consultant do you see? Are you allowed to say on this forum? If the NHS don’t agree I’m going to buy my own

[Arigna in reply to McPammy]

How do I get it from Germany please?

[RedApple Administrator in reply to Arigna]

Arigna, Info is on the Thyroid UK website but you do need an appropriately written prescription. thyroiduk.org/tuk/treatment...

[shaws Administrator]

That article is cleary, wrong, wrong, wrong.

It's the GPs/endocrinologists who don't 'work' for the patient in order for them to recover their health and who insist that levo alone is 'perfect'. It might be for many but those on this forum cannot and do not recover. I actually find most doctors and endos quite ignorant due to the fact that they rely solely upon a TSH result alone and if patient reaches the top of the 'range' they stop increasing dose when we need a TSH of 1 or lower and FT4 and FT3 in the upper part of the range (I bet most professionals think that if our TSH is very low that we've gone hyPERthyroid but that's incorrect ).

lynmynott

[MaisieGray]

"Fact is GP's are banned from prescribing T3 because of the cost."

No, that's not factually correct. GPs may not initiate prescribing, but once T3 has been approved by an Endocrinologist, a GP can take over its ongoing prescribing.

[Howard39 in reply to MaisieGray]

Hi in my surgery they will no longer prescribe t3 if it has been recommend by a private specialist. Mine was stopped 2 years ago. There is no nhs endo within a 3 hour drive. Besides I am happy with mine. She prescribes nature throid or a glandular. I found the first v weak and the glandular gave me headaches. I could get a private prescription and send it to Germany but opted to have ndt from abroad. Not a cheap option given you are entitled to free prescriptions!

[SlowDragon Administrator]

You can check out prescription numbers of any medication by CCG area in England here

It's a post code lottery

Liothyronine by CCG across whole of England

openprescribing.net/analyse...

Just Kernow CCG (highest prescription rate)

openprescribing.net/analyse...