Prescribing intervals

[foreversummer]

Has anyone managed to persuade their surgery to issue three months supply of levo rather than monthly? I have to stick to Mercury pharma and my surgery's pharmacy can't always get it so I have to keep travelling from my little village into town with my prescription then going back to collect it if they have to order it.

[Lalatoot]

I get 2 monthly prescriptions.

[bantam12]

I get 3 months supply, my pharmacy is a 20 mile round trip so a right pain 🤦🏻‍♀️

[tattybogle]

I get 2 months too , i didn't have to ask that's just how it came . I was annoyed to find it changed from 3 months to 2 when i changed Doctors , but not annoyed enough to try and change it. But if it changed to 1 month i'd be having a word ... what a silly waste of everyone's time and energy , not to mention CO 2 emissions.

And especially if you need the same brand , it would be much more sensible to get 3 mths ata time .

I'd have a word with them, and try appealing to their common sense.

[fuchsia-pink]

You may be able to get a batch prescription - which saves a degree of faff ... x

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[Ruby1]

I have had 3 months twice when I’ve asked for it but it defaults back to monthly.

I now use one of these automatic delivery services and they come by post. I’m not sure if I’m allowed to mention the name. I go online or on the app and they deliver and it’s all free. I’ve set up a reminder once a month, and it takes 30 seconds on the app, instead of 5 mins online to my doctor and then a visit a week later to pick them up. PM me if you want more details. You could enquire whether they can always supply mercury pharma.

[fiftyone]

I have always got 6 months supply along wit h other medication I need. Can't surgery's see how much admin etc. it would save to give more prescriptions? Especially as blood tests only take place perhaps annually or six monthly. What is the point of just issuing two months supply?

[SlowDragon Administrator]

My GP does years worth of batch prescriptions at time.

I can collect every 2 months

Extremely helpful Small independent Pharmacy 10 miles away always stocks Mercury Pharma for several patients

[Hidden]

Recently diagnosed as having hypothyroidism (after being hyper & having RAI treatment) and prescribed Levothyroxine (and given the Teva brand). After the RAI treatment I felt wonderful (for the first time in 10 years) but after taking the Teva brand I felt worse than ever. Thanks to the info. on HU I asked my doctor if I could change brands - but she couldn't help. Phoned my lovely local pharmacist - and she sent 3 months supply of the Accord brand round to me within a few hours - and marked "No Teva" on my records. Now beginning to feel much better. I thank God for you all and the info. you provide us with.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

I now get three-month prescriptions. The GP was happy as I was on a stable dose.

I've posted this before:

The MHRA report on levothyroxine recommends three-month prescribing. When I asked for that (as a new patient at a new surgery) the doctor very much implied that the pharmacists wouldn't like it - she gave me two months.

Levothyroxine Tablet Products: A Review of Clinical & Quality Considerations

07 January 2013

9. Levothyroxine should be prescribed and dispensed in quantities covering three months supply, where appropriate, in order to address issues of continuity of supply and also to improve convenience to patients.

.

gov.uk/government/uploads/s...

[foreversummer in reply to helvella]

Thank you helvella for this. I will print it off. My dispensary is attached to my surgery because I live in a rural area. I am only well on Mercury Pharma and they often say they can't get it. I found a pharmacist about 10 miles away who said she could order Mercury for me that I would need to ask my surgery to add Mercury to the title line on the prescription so that she could get paid correctly. However, now the surgery have added it to the title line they are saying that the script can't be sent electronically. Now I have to request the script each month, collect it from my surgery, take it to the chemist and go back again if they have to order it. I could just about cope with this once very three months. I have asked before and they have refused. I will go armed with this.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to foreversummer]

I'll cross my fingers for you - but despite being a formal recommendation, they might not be impressed.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to foreversummer]

My prescription also says Mercury Pharma brand only

My GP able to sign off a full year’s prescription at a time and send it electronically

I then pick up every 2 months

Like you, I drive some distance to a helpful pharmacy who guarantee to always stock Mercury Pharma levothyroxine

They also always get my Morningside brand T3

[foreversummer in reply to SlowDragon]

That's interesting you get yours sent electronically. The are saying they can't do that for me if the prescription specifies a certain brand. Im summoning up the energy to do battle today. Wish me luck!

[hyporeb in reply to foreversummer]

My prescription is for 3 months. I have Mercury Pharma written on it by GP.

It is sent electronically to a local independent pharmacy who I have used for years and years.

Still - EVERY time I collect it they have given me another brand and EVERY time I tell them it’s wrong there’s a big hoo-ha about how they can’t get Mercury Pharma. It’s only when I remind them it’s actually written on my prescription that they suddenly magic some from out the back.

This rigmarole has gone on for years and I’m used to it now.

[foreversummer]

They are never impressed with me and seem determined to work against me, but then again I'm not impressed with them! Thanks again for the info.

[Pearlanncollins]

I used to get 100 at a time now only 28

[sweepandollie]

I get my Levo every 2 months but they only prescribe my eye drops monthly. Fortunate in being able to walk to pharmacy.

[dizzy864]

My surgery is strictly one month only. If I ask for another because I m going away. It's delayed a day and I get 2 separate prescriptions with consecutive dates. The surgery says pharmacists insist on this as they get a flat fee for each prescription. Meaning they get three times the fee for monthly prescriptions as three monthly. No wonder NHS is short of funds!!

[elwins]

Boots order my repeat prescription each month and they only supply what they have on my records as I cannot take Teva brand. Never have any trouble getting same brand, they have been very good to me.

[jan95]

I have always received 2 months supply, never asked for it the Dr just did it..

[Stourie]

I used to get 3 months at a time but now only get 6 weeks worth. It’s so annoying. Jo xx

[foreversummer]

Thank you for all the info and replies I've received. I'll report back. Battle commencing today.

[Boon79]

I can only get monthly prescriptions in my GP surgery too. However, I have ‘Wockhardt only’ on my prescription, and I have subscribed to the repeat prescription service with my local pharmacy.It’s a bit of a nuisance that I have to pick it up monthly.

[foreversummer in reply to Boon79]

Please see reply below.

[Sususulio]

Exactly the same for me - my dose has been the same for years - only one months supply! Ridiculous in that because of the dose 150/125 alternate days I get tiny cut off strips of 14 (25 + 50) even 2 months would be more sensible. Same as above it’s writ large on my prescription, I gave up with Boots and the pharmacy attached to the GP they were actually quite rude and very dismissive, I use a smaller independent pharmacy - we still have blips but it’s definitely not a case of patient first for the most part 💁

[foreversummer in reply to Sususulio]

please see reply below.

[foreversummer]

Just to update you all. I have success and now have a 3 month paper prescription of Mercury Pharma Levo whilst previous refused twice. I sent an email to my surgery, a very polite email, explaining how I was getting very anxious each month about getting my medication. I detailed the journey I am having to make (I live in a rural area) and that I was concerned that sometimes I would not be able to make that journey and therefore I would be days without my medication. I explained that many folk on the Thyroid UK forum were getting 3 months supply at a time. I asked for their response via email rather than telephone call. I didn't need helvella's article although I certainly had it my sleeve! Result! Thanks all for your shared experiences and I hope others will be encouraged to fight for a more sensible prescriptions regime.