Medication dispensing issues

[Barann]

Hi all. Just wondering if anyone has had the any medication issues with Oharmacy/GPs. I sent in my repeat script 2 weeks ago as I've been told by the surgery that it is taking up to a week to get these out. Once they're signed they are sent to the pharmacy who then text me to say script is ready I'm on 162.5 Levothyroxine. The past two months I have had to split 25mg as no 12.5 is available. No problem. Yesterday I had heard nothing so popped into the pharmacy. My meds were on some shelf with a note stating that no 12.5mg is available and none will be available for the foreseeable future. Told to speak to my surgery. So, online I have to fill in this long questionnaire explaining that the pharmacist says my GP needs to sort this out. GP comes back to me to and says I need to speak to pharmacy about a substitute?? Back to pharmacy, tell them GP says they must sort out a substitute, who tgen say GP must tell them I can have 25mg and split the tab. Back to GP to tell him that he must prescribe 25mg and tell the pharmacy to tell me to split the tabs on half. Has logic been trashed along with common sense and face to face meetings with Doctors?

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

Someone has got the wrong information!

The NHS Business Services Organisation says:

Levothyroxine 12.5microgram tablets are out of stock until early March 2021.

hscbusiness.hscni.net/pdf/M...

Which contradicts what your pharmacist said. Not helpful. Wonder which is right?

I suggest, as I usually do when we get questions about availability, that you contact Teva themselves:

Teva UK Limited

Address

Field House, Station Approach, Harlow, Essex, CM20 2FB

Telephone

[phone]

Medical Information e-mail

[e-mail]

Stock Availability

0800 590 502

WWW

tevauk.com

Medical Information Direct Line

[phone]

[Barann in reply to helvella]

I got hold of Teva . They replied this morning to say it was back in and available through the Pharmacies Wholesalers. I shall letvmy pharmacy know when I pop in tomorrow. Thanks everyone

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Barann]

Not the first time patients have been ahead of pharmacists!

Thanks for letting us know.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

It’s perfectly acceptable to cut levothyroxine tablets

And much cheaper

28 tablets

25mcg levothyroxine £1.53

12.5mcg levothyroxine £12.45 - only available as Teva brand

Teva brand of levothyroxine upsets many people

Searchable drugs tariff

nhsbsa.nhs.uk/pharmacies-gp...

[Netty_]

I tried to cut the 25mcg tablets in half before and it was such a clat! I now take the whole 25mcg tablet every other day alongside my 2x100mcg tablets instead, so much easier and my Endo and GP is in agreement for me to do it this way instead of trying to cut a tiny tablet in half (I have used a pill splitter but it’s no good with such a small tablet)

[Barann in reply to Netty_]

Thanks everyone for the replies . I've had no problem splitting the tabs . My GP phoned today to apologise. They're going to give me the 25mg but it appears 12.5 is not avaible as yet. I will phone the Teva company and find out more.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Barann]

Do let us know what they say! Please.