What are some other expensive prescriptions?

Hello all!

I wonder if anyone could suggest some expensive prescriptions please?

I'm planning on asking my GP to take over my prescription of T3 (eventually) but they don't prescribe any T3 at the moment. The CCG covered 102 items in Jun 21 so there's some smidge of hope that the NHS might cover my prescription.

I intend to write a comprehensive letter arguing my case to the surgery and I wondered if there were other expensive medications on prescription and I could maybe argue if they pay for those they can pay for mine!! 🤞🏼

Thanks all 🌱

[helvella]

The British National Formulary has Medicinal Forms sections for most medicines. These include tariff prices which provide a guide.

For example, the page for Insulin:

bnf.nice.org.uk/medicinal-f...

I am not convinced that arguing the similarly high (or greater) costs of other medicines is the best approach but you know your GP and your circumstances.

[Hidden in reply to helvella]

It's a many-pronged arguement! 😂 I just thought highlighting that the surgery will fund other expensive meds so arguing that T3 is too expensive isn't that fair. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[DippyDame in reply to Hidden]

Good luck!

Cost is clearly a factor but first you need to convince your GP and endo that you need T3... long term.

Some are amenable, but not all.

I'm not sure there is a strong like-for-like issue that can be used to argue your case - suggesting that it " isn't that fair" is unlikely to be given credence.

Robust petitions concerning T3 have already gone before both Westminster and Holyrood, with little success.

It's a shocking state of affairs and vastly unfair on those who need T3 to function.

I need a huge dose of T3 and any hopes/requests for a prescription amounts to whistling in the wind, despite the fact that without it I would, in all probability, very slowly die.

It's principally a battle against political will and financial clout and I wish for all of us that this was different.

I hope your "many- pronged arguement" can pierce that barrier!!

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I think your ‘fairness’ argument could be an own goal. There are thousands or millions of people who could argue unfairness across the NHS. As already said - you know your GP best and what your relationship is - BUT if he or she agreed to prescribe and then in turn had to justify their decision to the CCG , they would be laughed at for citing ‘fairness’ in accessing a drug over a clinical decision.

To help your GP decide in your favour, I suggest you would be better served giving him clinical evidence of why you need it, backed up by your Endocrinologist . Explain every detail of how being without T3 affects you physically and any detriment to your quality of life. Put it in writing and ask for it to be added to your notes.

Don’t forget that GPs do not operate autonomously, but within every narrowing guidelines and financial pressures. They see ‘unfairness’ every day of their working life.

[Hidden in reply to helvella]

This website is useful of you know what you're looking for.

I have no idea of what any other medicines are or what they're for. I'll have to set aside some time to trawl through!

[Lalatoot]

Your problem will be that some of the other expensive medications such as the Kaftrio treatment for cystic fibrosis are seen as truly life-saving, have scientific studies proving their efficacy and are hailed by the medical profession as being breakthrough developments.T3 is not seen as life-saving by medics. Hypothyroidism is perceived as a problem that can be easily treated with levothyroxine alone. This is mirrored by the fact that GPs are considered able to deal with the majority of hypo patients - no specialist necessary. There is a lack of scientific studies to prove the efficacy of T3 and indeed there are studies that state that the addition of T3 is of no benefit.

[Hidden in reply to Lalatoot]

Oh for sure. It's very frustrating but worth a punt.

[helvella in reply to Lalatoot]

There is a lack of scientific studies to prove the efficacy of T3 and indeed there are studies that state that the addition of T3 is of no benefit.

If you go beyond getting TSH to an acceptable number, and actually try to use the best possible quality of life studies, there are few studies that truly demonstrate the adequacy of levothyroxine monotherapy.

I suspect there are more which claim to have identified under-treatment, over-treatment, non-compliance, pseudo-non-compliance, or pseudo-pseudo-non-compliance. (Might read rather like a Monty Python script but it is deadly serious.)

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Plus they are terrified that if they open flood gates…..all 2 million U.K. patients on levothyroxine might start clamouring for addition of T3