The BNF now includes these new (as of January 2022) liothyronine products.
5 microgram - £55
10 microgram - £65
20 microgram - £55
bnf.nice.org.uk/medicinal-f...
These are listed as the NHS indicative prices.
See also the May 2022 Drug Tariff prices: healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Has anyone actually managed to get the 5mcg or 10mcg prescribed yet?
I can't remember - someone was in line to get one dose. But we haven't had many personal experiences.
If you have received the Roma hard capsules, would you let us know how you got on with them? Please.
I remember on member had been prescribed 20mcg ….and couldn’t cut them to give smaller doses
i have just received my prescription of 2 x 10mcg daily. i have taken first doses today. previouly had 20mcg of teva which caused problems as they didn't split well.
I'm going to try these. (After I've checked whether they have lactose and acacia in. )
I've just checked your amazing document of their meds and thyroid ingredients and Roma don't have lactose or acacia in. Nor do they have mannitol in. I'll see if I can get some and report back.
I've just phoned my local tesco pharmacy and their suppliers don't list Roma. So I'll try other pharmacies.
helvella or anyone!... I still don't understand why the BNF and the NHSBSA drug tariff are different from each other. Our CCG head of medicines management referred to ROMA nor yet being on the drug tariff.
When does the BNF info get transferred to the NHSBSA?
There is a thing called the dm+d (Dictionary of Medicines and Devices) which is accessible from here: nhsbsa.nhs.uk/pharmacies-gp...
It is a large database containing everything about medicines. Far too complex for ordinary folk to use. Try the browser and you'll see what I mean!
The BNF does an extract of the information there to create its Medicinal forms lists.
I'm not clear how the Drug Tariff gets its information but the choice of what is in it is, I have been told, down to the Department of Health & Social Care.
I have contacted NICE (who host the online version of the BNF), BNF, NHSBSA, dm+d and now am awaiting a reply from DHSC.
NICE didn't want to know. BNF said not their issue, they just get data from dm+d. dm+d were very pleasant and helpful and do include the Roma product. NHSBSA said what goes into the Drug Tariff is decided by DHSC.
There have been two major strands to my questions:
Why the BNF lists medicines by company - where the company is often the distributor rather than the manufacturer or whoever puts their name on the product.
See: bnf.nice.org.uk/medicinal-f...
There are five "products" of 12.5 microgram levothyroxine:
A A H Pharmaceuticals Ltd
Alliance Healthcare (Distribution) Ltd
DE Pharmaceuticals
Medihealth (Northern) Ltd
Teva UK Ltd)
We (mostly) know there is only the Teva product. The first four are distributors. And even Teva could be the distribution arm of Teva rather than the importers/manufacturing arms.
Nor does dm+d hold licence numbers. So there is currently no obvious way of BNF identifying that there is only one product.
The other strand was exactly what you are asking - why is Roma liothyronine not in the Drug Tariff? In the dm+d it is listed and this is a direct link. Should serve as proof to any professional medicines person who can't work it out for themselves. (Yes - that is digging at them. We are just simple patients. We are continually told that we should ask the professionals and things we find on the internet are all rubbish. I like to point out when that is inverted. Patients Know. And Internet information can be more accurate than the processionals' information.)
services.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/dmd-...
The dm+d chap was very helpful and seemed to appreciate the issues I was asking about but was not expecting any changes in the short or medium terms.
Quite why dm+d doesn't get a feed of licensing information, I don't know. Maybe they do, but don't put the PL number into the database?
Hi, I have just discovered this thread and wondered if anyone knows if this Roma brand is available in Northern Ireland yet? More than likely not as we are usually way behind in the pecking order 🙄 I did ask Boots but they said no. 🙂
Given the border in the Irish Sea issues, I can't be sure. But Alliance (part of Walgreen Boots Alliance) are the distributor. Therefore, if anyone can, Boots can.
I'd consider contacting Boots' Head Office (if they have one, in NI, but in UK as well). And Roma.
I'll paste what I usually say, but you are already part way through.
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.
Chain pharmacies can make things more difficult by preventing individual pharmacists ordering directly from companies. Even then, they can ring the manufacturer and pass on information to others in their organisation.
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:
Helvella,
Thank you so much for your reply, very informative and I will definitely be thinking about contacting Boots head office to ask them. I will keep you posted of outcome, thanks again 😀
