Accord Liothyronine

[Cleobear]

Has anyone been offered Accord brand of Liothyronine. My chemist is unable to get Mercury Pharma and can only get this brand apart from Teva which doesn’t suit me. Anyone else having this issue?

[helvella Administrator]

It is quite a new product.

It only gained approval in March 2022. (Though it is in the latest version of my medicines document.)

For that reason, we have not had many mentions of it on the forum. (I remember seeing someone ask about it some time ago, but that was before it was even approved! I thought it a mistake at the time.)

Excipients:

The other ingredients are pregelatinised maize starch, cellulose microcrystalline,

light magnesium oxide, sodium starch glycolate and sodium stearyl fumarate.

Has your pharmacist checked the obvious - Morningside?

helvella - Thyroid Hormone Medicines

I have created, and try to maintain, a document containing details of all thyroid hormone medicines in the UK and, in less detail, many others around the world.

From Dropbox:

dropbox.com/s/wfhrlmb5983co...

From Google Drive:

drive.google.com/file/d/12N...

[Cleobear in reply to helvella]

Thank you so much for your response. I have tried Morningside in the past but it seemed very weak and ineffective for me and always managed to source Mercury Pharma albeit with a lot of running around with the pharmacist. I will have to give it a try but I see one of the ingredients is, I think, one of my problems.

[helvella Administrator in reply to Cleobear]

You do have the option of requesting Roma hard capsules - but getting them would require a revised prescription. Better check pharmacy can get hold of them.

They are also a new product available since 12th January 2022.

Also, re the Mercury Pharma product:

When someone reports that a particular medicine cannot be obtained by their pharmacy, I always suggest they consider 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;

• Give the pharmacist some information and they will be able to get the product.

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.

The company name is not always the same as the brand name. You can find the company name on the packaging (though in smaller letters and possibly on the back or bottom) and at the bottom of the Patient Information Leaflet. For example, Mercury Pharma is a brand name but the company is Advanz.

Contact details for most, possibly all, UK pharmaceutical companies/manufacturers can be found here:

medicines.org.uk/emc/browse...

Or the British National Formulary's list:

bnf.nice.org.uk/guidance/in...

[Cleobear in reply to helvella]

Thank you for your helpful response. The pharmacist I use has always been been quite good and rung around for Mercury Pharma but on this occasion has not been able to provide it. I will see what he has been able to get for me when I call in this afternoon. I have to cut them up and mercury Pharma are scored the others just disintegrate when cut so pretty useless really. I wasn’t aware of the new brand Roma, I will speak to them about it. Thank you very much for your help I will see how It goes

[helvella Administrator in reply to Cleobear]

Roma, being hard capsules, are not suitable for splitting. But they do offer 5, 10 and 20 microgram dosages!

[Shelleyblue in reply to helvella]

Can a roma capsule be opened as I don't want to digest the capsule just the contents ? My hospital want me to change my brand from teva to roma.

[Shelleyblue in reply to helvella]

Are they better than splitting a TEVA Tablet are they the same strength ?

[helvella Administrator in reply to Shelleyblue]

Theoretically, they should be very close to exactly the same as a quarter of a Teva 20 microgram tablet. But we all know that individuals sometimes find slight differences in things which should be the same.

[Shelleyblue in reply to helvella]

Can I open the hard capsule and just have the contents with this new roma or does the capsule not come apart ? My hospitalnwant me to change brands to ROMA Liothyronine 5mcg.

[helvella Administrator in reply to Shelleyblue]

Although theory is that you shouldn't, it does appear feasible according to one or two members. It would be very easy to get an uneven split or lose some powder. It would take care and a gentle approach.

If you are prescribed two 5 microgram doses, as it says in your profile, would you need to split them?

[helvella Administrator in reply to Shelleyblue]

The PAR (Product Assessment Report) for the Roma capsules says:

If the patient has difficulty swallowing a whole capsule, they should empty the contents of a capsule into a minimum of 20 ml of water. Stir and drink the whole liquid to ensure they take the full dose. It is possible to do this with liothyronine because this substance is soluble in water.

mhraproducts4853.blob.core....

The PIL (Patient Information Leaflet) for the Roma capsules says:

If you have has difficulty swallowing a whole capsule, empty the contents of a capsule into a minimum of 20 ml of water. Stir and drink the whole liquid to ensure they take the full dose. It is possible to do this with liothyronine because this substance is soluble in water.

mhraproducts4853.blob.core....

[Lesleynotts]

I did phone Accord a few weeks ago to find out more about the new Accord Liothyronine brand that helvella had reported as licenced over a month ago. The lady I spoke to at Accord told me that their Liothyronine was made by Morningside currently and she did not have any information about them producing a new formulation. If this has changed now I am interested to hear.

[Archer66]

Hi I cannot take Teva brand either! I need help with T3 brands just stopped dessicated thyroid and Consultant wants me on T3

[helvella Administrator in reply to Archer66]

Have you downloaded my medicines document?

So far as I am aware, it is up to date re both T4 and T3 makes available in the UK.

helvella - Thyroid Hormone Medicines

I have created, and try to maintain, a document containing details of all thyroid hormone medicines in the UK and, in less detail, many others around the world.

From Dropbox:

dropbox.com/s/wfhrlmb5983co...

From Google Drive:

drive.google.com/file/d/12N...

I also urge you to write a new post. Your reply on a post that is over two months old might well get missed by most members.

[Digger031145]

hi Cleobear

I know this is an old post but did you get Accord Liothyronine?

[helvella Administrator in reply to Digger031145]

You can see the Patient Information Leaflet that was approved by the MHRA:

mhraproducts4853.blob.core....

Says manufactured by Accord.

But it simply has not been marketed. And we don't know why.

[Digger031145 in reply to helvella]

clearbear may have got it which is why I’ve asked her

[helvella Administrator in reply to Digger031145]

You'd likely do better by calling Accord.