UK Thyroid Hormone Medicines: Given the concern... - Thyroid UK

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UK Thyroid Hormone Medicines

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK
9 Replies

Given the concern about availability of Advanz/Mercury Pharma medicines (discussed elsewhere on the forum - healthunlocked.com/thyroidu... ), I am posting the products that are licensed and, mostly, available.

All dosages are in micrograms.

Levothyroxine Tablets

Accord - 50 & 100

Almus (see Accord)

Advanz/Mercury Pharma including Eltroxin - 25, 50 & 100

Aristo - 100

Glenmark - 25, 50 & 100

Northstar 50 & 100 (see Accord)

Northstar 25 (see Teva)

Ranbaxy - 25, 50 & 100 (No reports of anyone getting Ranbaxy dispensed)

Teva - 12.5, 25, 50, 75 & 100

Wockhardt - 25

Liothyronine Tablets and hard capsules

Accord - 20

Advanz/Mercury Pharma - 20

Colonis - 5, 10 & 20 (No reports of anyone getting Colonis dispensed. It is identical to Roma.)

Morningside - 5, 10 & 20

Roma - 5, 10 & 20

SigmaPharm - 5 & 20 (No reports of anyone getting this new SigmaPharm dispensed)

Teva - 20

NB: SigmaPharm here is NOT identical to the USA product which some have had dispensed in the past.

I will add levothyroxine oral solutions later.

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helvella
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RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministrator

'Ranbaxy - 25, 50 & 100 (No reports of anyone getting Ranbaxy dispensed)'

Just to clarify... Are you saying that this is theoretically licensed in the UK but no-one has (to your knowledge) actually been dispensed with this brand yet?

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to RedApple

Absolutely correct. :-)

The date of revision of the Patient Information Leaflet was May 2021.

The date of revision of the Summary of Product Characteristics was August 2021.

The date of revision of the Product Assessment Report was October 2021.

Ranbaxy is owned by the giant Sun Pharma and, I think, operates largely through the Netherlands.

crimple profile image
crimple

thank you for this helvella. I get Sigma Pharma x 5 mcgm on NHS scrip. They always are sent in a brown bottle and I never receive a PIL. So I haven't been happy about this as I have issues with fillers. So much for the legal requirement to issue the PIL. I have no idea if I may or may not have been given the new SP. Time to contact GP and ask for a note on my scrip I think!

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to crimple

What markings do the tablets have?

Σ over over 76 (That is a breakline/score character in the middle.)

(That is the USA product.)

or

On one side: Σ

On the other side: 18

(That is the Ireland/UK product.)

Ask for a PIL. You are entitled to one. Even if the pharmacy has to download them from the internet or buy from supplier. For your convenience, I have added links below. If I can get them, a pharamciost should be able to!

UK: mhraproducts4853.blob.core....

USA: dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailym...

crimple profile image
crimple in reply to helvella

Thank you so much Helvella, so mine are the UK version and I am pretty sure they always have been?!!!! So I will check both PILs I think I have an older one somewhere and report back my findings.

crimple profile image
crimple in reply to helvella

Hi helvella, regarding the markings, as far as I can see it is the US pills that have M (on it's side) and 18 on other side. (That's what I am taking currently) Have now looked on line for the UK PIL which says the marking is M with 76. Both US and UK have the same ingredients, thank goodness, no Acacia powder, phew! I will contact my pharmacy and ask them to ensure I always get the PIL. Don't even understand why the pills are in a brown plastic bottle (all 180 of them) when they come in white plastic bottle of 90. I always divide them up into bottles of 21 (3x 5mcgm per day) such a fiddly job.

Really great that you have alerted us to the different manufacturers etc.

It,s when you read about the Sodium valproate debacle that you realise how crucial it is for folks to receive a PIL with their medication. We are entitled to know what we are shoving down our throat. Keep up the good work.

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to crimple

M (on it's side)

That is the Greek capital letter Sigma Σ - because they are SigmaPharm! :-)

I think the pharmacies feel that the original pots are not childproof (to UK standards).

Tell them you have no children around and would like the original packages so as to maintain them in the best possible condition until you open them.

SarahJane1471 profile image
SarahJane1471

Thanks helvella. Has anyone actually had problems yet? I use MP .

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to SarahJane1471

We have heard of a couple of problems. But at brexit the pharma industry was pushed into increasing stocks, and, during Covid, I suspect the companies have continued doing so when they can. Therefore, it might take longer than would once have been the case for stocks to dwindle.

It is also possible that there will be absolutely no change to production and supply - with the issues being more towards financial management.

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