My local pharmacy (who interestingly has just changed hands) tried to give me a mixture of every brand of levo under the sun today - apart from Mercury Pharma which is written on my prescription.
That's nothing new (you would think it was gold dust) but to cut a very long story short they have now just called to say that Mercury Pharma is not available from any supplier at all and so what would I like to do.
I've called a few other pharmacies and they have all said they only stock Teva (which I absolutely cannot take). Is there a national shortage of Mercury Pharma that I have completely missed? or am I being fobbed off?
I need 25, 50 and 100 and I am now, of course in full panic mode.
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hyporeb
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Is Advanz Eltroxin and Advanz Levothyroxine (which I assume is the Mercury Pharma Levothyroxine I know and love) one and the same since they are made by the same manufacturer
- and therefore I would be ok with either or are they very different. Sorry if this is a stupid question.
You can see the Patient Information Leaflets and Summary of Product Characteristics documents for all Advanz levothyroxine products. Check the documents and you can see that the two differently labelled products have the same MAH (Product Licence) numbers. That proves they are the same - if they weren't they would have different numbers.
Interesting…… Advanz is the company which has just been fined for inflating the price of liothyronine. Is it possible that they are trying the same trick with what was mercury levo?
When someone reports that a particular medicine cannot be obtained by their pharmacy, I always suggest contacting the pharmaceutical company/manufacturer directly.
We have had many occasions when the information given by the pharmacy to the member has not been accurate.
Examples with good outcomes have included:
• There were issues, but they are now, or will very shortly be, resolved;
• There is no issue and it is not clear why the pharmacy said there was;
• The product has a new branding - and is now only available under the new name.
And examples with bad outcomes:
• The product is no longer available;
• There is an issue that will not be resolved in the time required;
• The product has been recalled.
Quite often, members have found that the pharmaceutical company/manufacturer can and will advise how a pharmacy can obtain stock. At the worst, you can find out from an authoritative source that there really is an issue that will not be resolved. With pharmacies, you will almost always have at least one extra company - the distributor - between the pharmaceutical company/manufacturer and the pharmacy, allowing confusion to enter.
Some pharmaceutical companies/manufacturers have been extremely helpful to members who have contacted them.
Contact details for most, possibly all, UK pharmaceutical companies/manufacturers can be found here:
My mum had a severe reaction to Teva a few months back, and I reported this to her chemist , requesting that she not be given Teva again. (They refused to yellow card it and I did that on behalf of my mum, not an easy task when you don't live nearby.)They told me it had been written against her name that she was nt to be given Teva the next time she had her script delivered, she checked what she had been given before the delivery driver left her house, and low and behold she had been given Teva again.
She told him she couldn't take Teva and he refused to return the tablets to the pharmacy, my sister in law called at the pharmacy later after phoning them and explaining what had happened and they gave her a new bag of medication , when she dropped it off at my mums house it was teva again.
My sister in law took the tablets back and they finally gave her another brand.
The following month , they did not deliver any levothyroxine at all.
This week , they brought teva again, the delivery man phoned the pharmacy when my mum opened her package and told the woman at the pharmacy that they had given my mum the wrong tablets , they said had nothing else and that my mum would be better off taking them than than not taking anything !!
I wonder if this ignoramus has ever heard of anaphylaxis .
I don't live near to my mum but I rang round a couple of pharmacies in her area to find out what brands of levo they usually have and have arranged for a different pharmacy to take over delivering her medications, she has now sorted this out with her doctor and the new pharmacy.
It's good that some hypo patients have someone they can rely upon to assist them when difficulties arise through not getting the thyroid hormone replacements (or any other prescriptions) that helps relieve their clinical symptoms. If we're feeling unwell the last thing we want to do is to search for an appropriate replacement that suits us.
Unfortunately many medical professionals don't think there's much of a difference in a tablet from another pharma company. Our bodies do tell us when we get a reaction that's unpleasant.
Quite a number of members have found that a particular pharma company's tablet can help them to feel much better and that's when to tell the pharmacy to only provide that particular one.
It comes as a big surprise initially when we're given a tablet that may make us feel much worse than before being diagnosed. Thankfully many of us now have internet access and espcially Healthunlocked Thyroiduk.org.uk. that has helpful members and many know much more than those who're qualified.
I agree completely Shaws, my poor mum is 87 and she gets very worried about rocking the boat. She is sorted out now and will be getting her prescriptions from another smaller independent pharmacy, who seemed far more helpful when I spoke to them on the phone.
Following advice on this forum, I only accept one brand of levothyroxine and I always check that's what I have been given when I pick up my tablets. My pharmacy are very accommodating and they go to great efforts to get me the same brand each time so I am lucky.
Now if only I could get my prescription of T3 sorted out I'd be laughing ! at least the news yesterday may be a step in the right direction.
Hi again Shaws, I do take a combination of T3 and T4 and I have been well on it for the last couple of years , I just have to convince either the GP or the Endo to prescribe it. Endo acknowledges that it is exactly what I need but won't prescribe on cost grounds and GP won't prescribe because they don't have anyone else on it, it's a red drug and they don't know enough about it.
But now I'm well I'm fighting on as much for others as for myself.
I did see my MP in Jan 2020, she was newly elected in Dec 2019, but because of the pandemic I have not followed up with her since.I did mention at my GP surgery that I was speaking with my MP and was told "they don't like getting angry letters from MP's because the MP's don't have to take any reponsibility for prescribing to patients" I'll let you draw your own conclusions to that response !
I have not given up yet , and now things seem to getting a bit better regarding the covid situation, I will probably email her again and "remind " her that I am still getting nowhere with the T3.
I'm NOT 'on' this drug, so I don't really know however.... Have you Spoken to your local Pharmacist? Often a Very 'Overlooked' resource. (S)He can check the 'Availability', of this Drug, within your area- or Nationally, if need be. As suggested by SlowDragon, you can also contact the Suppliers/ Importers Direct.
Have you Mentioned, these problems, to your 'Own' Doctors/ Consultants? I had a 'Supply Problem', with one Drug, some years back now- my Consultant simply Prescribed 'Three Months Worth', by which time there Wasn't a Problem.
Good luck hyporeb and, do Try anyway, Not to 'Panic' too much- hard I know. Sending you All our
It is my local pharmacist - they have just been bought out (by another local pharmacist) so it is a new pharmacist I am dealing with - who quite frankly does not appear to know what she is doing. I am currently waiting for her to get back to me again.
And yes, I am always prescribed 3 months worth at a time.
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Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Finally I am being prescribed T4! 
Believe I am being under medicated with Naturethroid..I am in the US
Change of brand of Levothyroxine, Should I be worried.
Anyone else know a similar equivalent brand to Mercury Pharma?
