Pharmacy problems

[Luci20]

Has anyone else had problems with getting the brand they need of levothryoxine from their pharmacy? I have just changed pharmacies but have had the same problems. My prescription states please dispense TEVA brand only due to side effects but every time I go to the pharmacy they try to give me a different brand! Last time they told me they couldn’t get any other brand and my GP had to phone them serval times before I finally got my prescription in the TEVA brand!

[Hay2016]

My gp put lactose free on mine. They sometimes make a mistake and try give something else but I always just ask if they are lactose free. They swap or order in. That’s asda I use. X

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Hay2016]

Requiring lactose-free does not guarantee that someone will get Teva.

Aristo levothyroxine is also lactose-free.

[YSpencer]

Hi. I had the same problem but for me l don’t want Teva. I moved to an independent chemist who said they could get me whatever l requested and they did. It’s worth a try.

[Phronsias2]

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[Cat013]

I had a problem when my dose increased as certain brands only make certain doses so they swapped me. Having read here not to swap I took them back. My brand didn’t come in 75’s and they didn’t realise this for almost two weeks! Got a new prescription for 50’s and 25’s and received them the next day! May not be your issue but just in case x

[Luci20]

My pharmacy keep issuing the Mercury brand or actavis brand which both have lactose in and they would not swap them! I have tried both Boots and Lloyd’s pharmacy now and both were the same. Lloyd’s pharmacy even kicked off at my GP and said that you couldn’t even get TEVA brand in 50 mg when you can!

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Your GP can and should write on all future prescriptions

Teva brand of levothyroxine only

[Luci20]

Yeah my GP already write that on all my prescriptions. The problem is the pharmacy does not read this or they ignore this every time and then my GP has had to phone them a few times now to tell them they must read the prescription and only issue that brand. I have already changed pharmacy to see if that helped but it’s the same!

[YSpencer in reply to Luci20]

It needs to be an Independent Chemist as they can order what they like rather than those in a chain who have to accept what they’re sent

[Luci20]

All pharmacies can order what they want as Boots have ordered TEVA before after I requested this and so have Lloyd’s pharmacy after my GP spoke to them but it still happens every time I go to collect the next prescription.

[Pianista]

Hi,

I’m in the USA and had the exact same problem. A friend told me to switch to Synthroid instead and I’ve been on that for the last year and a half without a problem.