Please, would you and EVERYONE affected by this issue email the MHRA?
info@mhra.gov.uk
They are perfectly pleasant and I have already got the ball rolling by putting in by very long and specific complaint. The MHRA knows this is an issue.
Please explain what happened to you. E.g. your pharmacy supplied Teva in Northstar own label branding because they do not realise that it is Teva. They assumed all Northstar is Accord (Actavis). Or whatever happened to you.
Please email even as a matter of concern. E.g. that you are intolerant of Teva and although you now know, you still think it is wrong.
ALSO, consider it works two ways. Someone given 25 microgram Northstar because it is lactose-free, could make a mistake and assume the 50 and 100 microgram tablets are also lactose-free.
The more emails they receive, the more likely they are to act.
(I find it shocking that pharmacists and pharmacy assistants have no idea this is the case.)
Repeat of my usual information about available products:
UK Levothyroxine Tablets
➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖
Last updated 24/02/2020.
This is a list of currently marketed levothyroxine tablets in the UK.
———————————————————
🔹 Accord – formerly Actavis (manufacturer)
50
100
———————————————————
🔸 Almus (an ‘own label supplier’ brand owned by Walgreen Boots Alliance – Boots pharmacies and Alliance distributor)
50 – This is repackaged Accord – formerly Actavis.
100 – This is repackaged Accord – formerly Actavis.
———————————————————
🔹 Mercury Pharma (manufacturer – part of Advanz) includes both “Levothyroxine” and “Eltroxin” which are identical.
25
50
100
———————————————————
🔹 Teva (manufacturer)
12.5
25
50
75
100
———————————————————
🔸 Northstar (an ‘own label supplier’ brand owned by McKesson – Lloyds pharmacies and AAH distributor)
25 – This is repackaged Teva. ❗
50 – This is repackaged Accord - formerly Actavis. ❗
100 – This is repackaged Accord - formerly Actavis. ❗
———————————————————
🔹 Wockhardt (manufacturer)
25
➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖
🔹 – identifies manufacturers.
🔸 – identifies ‘own label supplier’ products.
❗ – Take particular note of the actual product which varies by dosage.
———————————————————
Numbers refer to tablet dosages in micrograms.
If there is anything inaccurate in this information, please let me know by Private Message:
I've not been given northstar with teva in yet, the teva they have tried to give me has always been in it's own packaging, I've not tried Teva, I refuse to have it due to the reports on this website, my chemist has never been told that people are having problems with Teva, but is ok with swopping mine if I have been given it, I will now need to check the northstar packaging.
Would my concerns still be valid if I email the address given?
You are concerned - so yes, I do think it perfectly reasonable to let the MHRA know that.
(Although currently only Northstar 25 microgram tablets are from Teva, and they say they have no intention of changing the other dosages, I believe we now MUST check every single time.)
I have also wondered if Almus will do something similar?
Even if they source from more than one company, it should be made really, really, really obvious to patients. Not require careful checking of small print.
That’s a worry as take Almus tablets (previously Actavis). A few months ago I asked the pharmacist in Boots if it was same as Actavis. She said it was! So what to expect ?
I have been feeling un well for a few days headaches, acid, stomach aches. Started 25 mg Teva (as part of my daily 125mg dose) last week. Thanks to what i have read on here. I believe its down to the Teva. I will return to my Pharmacy tell them, and request Mercury Pharma or Wockhardt. Which i usually take. Will update my patientaccess info “ No Teva”.
In the UK, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) operates the Yellow Card scheme for reporting issues with medicines.
They have slightly different approaches to Side Effects, Defective medicines and Counterfeit or fake medicines. All can be accessed by following this link:
It is very important that we report issues. Although we might wish that we could rely on medical staff (doctors, nurses, pharmacists, etc.) to make reports, the truth is they often do not.
Years ago, the MHRA opened up the Yellow Card scheme to allow patients to make reports.
If in doubt, make a report. The MHRA must expect that some reports are inappropriate and will have mechanisms in place for handling them. It isn't your responsibility to make the decision. All that can reasonably be expected of you is to make reports in good faith, taking care to be as accurate as you can.
Thank you for posting helvella. ShelWhitt I will draw your attention to this thread in case you have a problem and end up with ALL Teva! It looks like you need to check the meds carefully before you accept them from the pharmacy. x
So i went to my pharmacist yesterday. Told him i was having problems i believed with Teva. He agreed that for clinical reasons i should be on a brand i have used before. He commented on the additives in Teva. Rang my Surgery today to get a prescription change/ amendment. They want to me to see a GP tomorrow, because i have had some side effects. So lets see what happens.
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Northstar boxed levo is TEVA
