So, this happened to me this week. I was curious if anyone has found any information online stating that medicines like NDT are prohibited to import?
I've found anecdotal reports of many people successfully importing it before. I'm trying to determine if its worth while to pursue a complain but I don't know what ground i have to stand on.
Legal for personal or household use. Hopefully someone will provide you with links though if you search for customs and border force it may pull some up. Sorry brain fog means I just cannot do 😒
It was for personal use though it was 180 tablets. However, the reason cited was that it is an animal-derived product. It looks like I have to get a solicitor or play lawyer myself if I want to try to argue my case and have them release it to me, which isn't worth it. Nevertheless, I'm extremely aggravated and still out quite a bit of money.
'the reason cited was that it is an animal-derived product.'
What product is it? Prescription (i.e. pharmaceutical) desiccated thyroid is legal to purchase, but perhaps what you've ordered isn't.
Armour thyroid - they just made a clerical error it would seem
Legal basis for personal importation:
Human Medicines Regulations 2012.
PART 3 Manufacturing and wholesale dealing
Grant etc of licences
Manufacturing of medicinal products
17.—(1) A person may not except in accordance with a licence (a “manufacturer’s licence”)—
(a)manufacture, assemble or import from a state other than an EEA State any medicinal product; or
(b)possess a medicinal product for the purpose of any activity in sub-paragraph (a).
(2) Paragraph (1) is subject to paragraphs (3) to (5).
(3) Paragraph (1) applies in relation to an investigational medicinal product only—
(a)if the product has a marketing authorisation, Article 126a authorisation, certificate of registration or traditional herbal registration; and
(b)to the extent that the manufacture or assembly of the product is in accordance with the terms and conditions of that authorisation, certificate or registration.
(4) In paragraph (3), “marketing authorisation” means—
(a)a marketing authorisation issued by a competent authority in accordance with the 2001 Directive; or
(b)an EU marketing authorisation.
(5) Paragraph (1) does not apply to a person who, in connection with the importation of a medicinal product from a state other than an EEA State—
(a)provides facilities solely for transporting the product; or
(b)acting as an import agent, imports the medicinal product solely to the order of another person who holds a manufacturer’s licence authorising the importation of the product.
(6) Paragraph (1) does not apply to a person who imports a medicinal product for administration to himself or herself or to any other person who is a member of that person’s household.
legislation.gov.uk/uksi/201...
However, you need to find out what basis they used for confiscation. If, for example, they applied meat products restrictions, that would be a whole different ball game. The above is strictly on the grounds of importing medicines.
In my view, you really do need to appeal and do so as quickly as possible. (I think they are supposed to retain impounded goods for a short period.)
Controlled drugs are something else but Armour is not one of those.
Yeah, the applied meat product restrictions. Appealing is not trivial - it would have to go to court and seems like it would hardly be worth the cost of the lost medication to take time off work and travel etc...
Apparently, the process can take months also...
You are not the first to hit a Border Force wall.
I am wondering if meat-products legislation is appropriate for a product which has gone through selection, processing and testing. By which I mean: could any bacteria (or even viruses) survive and therefore result an animal diseases being imported? If not, there is no rational basis for impounding it.
[The fact that it is erratic shows that even if it is a sensible restriction, they are applying it haphazardly thus to little or no real benefit.]
Border Force should not be confiscating, but your purchase will be subject to additional charges for VAT and a charge for collecting the VAT.
I know they shouldn't, but they did on the ground it is an animal-derived product.
What product is it? Armour usually comes in 100 tab bottles, but you said 180 tabs.
If it is genuinely Armour, I doubt they would use the term animal derived. Ingredients of prescription desiccated thyroid state 'thyroid USP'.
It was from a prescription filled at a pharmacy in the US. I'm from the US and my doctor wrote my prescription there and I had someone send the me prescription.
Get in touch with the pharmacy and check what they dispensed. If it was a compounded product rather than the branded Armour, that may be a problem. Also, find out what the person sending it to you actually wrote on the customs declaration form.
So here is the chain of events.
1) US Doctor I have had a patient relationship with for a long time writes Armour refill - sends to RiteAid pharmacy (a typical retail pharmacy in the US like Boots or Super drug)
2) Prescription is filled by pharmacy
3) My father collects the prescription and ships them via FedEx declared as 'prescription thyroid medication'
4) Thyroid arrives in the UK.
5) FedEx calls and emails a bit frantically asking for what type of medication it is
6) I reply 'Armour Thyroid'
7) shipment is delayed on the FedEx website
8) I get a letter from Border Force saying they confiscated an animal-derived product
Where did I go wrong? In the US, the pharmacy puts a prescription in a small prescription container. US pharmacies do this when a prescription doesn't match the exact count received by the manufacturer. For example, a 30 day supply will be taken out of the retail Armour bottle and place in a smaller bottle.
It's not branded Armour thyroid and it's come from an 'individual' (i.e. your father posted it, not a recognised pharmacy).
At the very least, this makes the contents questionable from a border force perspective.
If you had simply purchased genuine Armour in branded sealed container, it would most likely have come through without issue.
it would most likely have come through without issue.
I don't like playing a game of odds. It's a disappointing result considering I've done it successfully about 12-15 times before.
'I don't like playing a game of odds. '
We are fortunate in the UK to be able to import desiccated thyroid for our own use. It is illegal in some countries (France I believe).
As helvella has suggested, maybe don't use FedEx next time. I too have heard that they can sometimes be a bit ruthless about imports.
Agree. I would always use USPS. FedEx just dreadful
Don't think you did anything wrong.
If Border Force are intent on it not getting in, that is a problem.
But in the real world, it might have been better to send it by an ordinary mail service rather than FedEx. And try to come up with some honest but less overt description. I suspect "thyroid hormone medicine" might not have triggered the system.
where did you order it from if you don't mind me asking?
Please have that conversation with Hidden via the private messaging system. Forum rules don't allow posting of medication sources.
It’s the Fed Ex part that’s the problem. I buy thyroid hormones from a pharmacy in the USA too and they actually say “don’t use Fed Ex because NDT will be described as an animal product and will be seized by Border Force”. If you’d just been sent the Armour through ordinary mail, it would most likely be fine.
Annoying, but hopefully that helps for next time!
That is good info. Thank you.
Switching to Armour from Levothyroxine
NDT Armour helped lower my total cholesterol 
Is here an Endo in the Midlands that will prescribe NDT/Armour?
