Can someone let me know the NHS prices for all three Liothyronine tablets as I don't appear to have the link on my laptop and can't read the drug tariff on my phone as the screen is too small. I know that the 20mcg price is £59 but don't know the 5mcg and 10mcg prices.
I had a conversation today with the pharmacist at the local pharmacy who kept referring to the Liothyronine tablets as milligrams rather than micrograms which didn't increase my confidence so I'm looking at changing the pharmacy my prescriptions are sent to.
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2pence
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Drug tariff price - this is the maximum amount the NHS will pay?
£99.47 for 5 microgram tablets.
£152.44 for 10 microgram tablets.
£59 for 20mcg
Is this right?
Why?
Does it make sense? The 20mcg tablets woukd be much better value!
Why would private prescriptions cost much more?
2pence why do you need this information and what can you do with it? (Sorry if this seems obvious, I’m just at a loss as to what is going on in pharmacies / the NHS and GP practices regarding Liothyronine, and wondering if you know better than me, how to get the tablets you need)
There are changes going through about how much the pharmacy can make on medicines - generic and branded. But yes, the tariff price is approximately what the NHS will pay.
The prices depend on things like competition. If there is only one supplier of 10 microgram tablets, they can charge more (negotiate a higher price)!
There is clearly absolutely no relationship between the amount of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) and the price. And, except in rare cases, the other ingredients will be pretty low in cost.
Private prescriptions appear to be charged at something towards 100% more than NHS prices. But I believe they have the choice to charge differently. Which is why it is worth ringing round if you need to get anything on private prescription.
Remember, I know little and have no particular sources of information. It really isn't at all clear how all these things work!
competition between the four brands has resulted in drop in price from £268 per 28 tablets…..currently £59 per 28 tablets and £55 for 5mcg, 10mcg and 20mcg capsules
And price is dropping each month
But only one supplier for 5mcg and 10mcg tablets so price remains high
but it’s a drop in tariff price only for 20mcg isn’t it? So brands that are charged at above the tariff price aren’t supplied at all? The free market approach to health… ?
Why the NHS pays such crazy prices is simply shocking; Liothyronine is available internationally for a tiny fraction of these prices and I don't for one moment accept that the Liothyronine purchased by the NHS is in sone mysterious way better or safer than that used in other countries around the world.
Even worse the super inflated price helps pervert clinical practice.
It is, I think, made even clearer by the appearance of a Greek-made product as the lowest price product in each dosage (Roma capsules). They would not have been accepted if not able to pass the processes required.
I suspect that the UK company chose a price below all existing products intentionally.
But I'd not be at all surprised if there were a very generous margin to allow for future price cuts if or when other products reduce their prices. And, by being the only capsule product, once a prescription has changed to specify "capsule", the patient's prescriptions end up being captive to them. (Unless another capsule product is launched.)
The fact that Thybon Henning has had a fairly stable, and lower, price within Germany for many years can also be considered good evidence.
Are you able to explain for the NHS Indicative Price, NHS Drug Tariff price, what the pharmacy pays, and what the pharmacy gets paid all work? And where the clawback occurs!
I wouldwould ikea to restart T3 Levothyroxine not working g for me constantly tired /sleeping I used to access the from Greece and Andorra Where can I buy them now ? Can you help Id6 be very grateful Thankyou
do we know anything about the differences between Liothyronine sodium and Liothyronine hydrochloride (thybon henning). For instance, is the thybon product better from the point of view of limiting sodium intake to control blood pressure ?
Liothyronine hydrochloride (thybon henning) isn't licensed in the UK, but licensed in Europe, hence can be imported and the price isn't controlled by UK pharma. There are no differences, just the salt in which the drug is sat in
Thanks for all your replies. The pharmacy my prescription is currently sent told me for two weeks that Morningside Liothyronine 20mcg is out of stock and are now telling me that all 20mcg Liothyronine prices have shot up ( Morningside to £167 per box) and they aren’t allowed to order them. It says Morningside on the prescription ( not sure where as don’t get to see the actual prescription). The pharmacies solution is for my prescription to be all in 5mcg tablets so 5 boxes per month for my 25 mcg prescribed dose. I don’t believe that Morningside 20mcg tablets cost that much and feel that the pharmacy are trying to make money.
I’m picking up a printed prescription today and will get that filled elsewhere. Since moving house I’ve had four repeat prescriptions and have had to have a printed prescription three times to get the 20mcg tablets.
I suggest considering asking for your prescription to be changed to "capsules" or not specify whether it is tablets or capsules (if that is legitimate). Then they could dispense Roma at a known price.
(Sorry if there is some reason they wouldn't suit you - I find it hard remembering all the issues members have! )
that sounds like a nightmare. I’m having the opposite problem - Morningside available at all pharmacies but no Mercury Pharma. It isn’t a national problem, it’s locality based.
I have/am considering that but want to get my annual bloods done first and then need to see the GP. I can hopefully get a face to face due to my deafness as the surgery seem to want to do everything online or by phone.
My OH has a wrist/hand problem and it was diagnosed as not broken over the phone. He has not been seen despite being a type 1 diabetic and the warnings around that. Fortunately the hand clinic this week is face to face at the hospital.
I don't believe it is illegal from the UK perspective provided it is for self and household.
Though questions over authenticity are, of course, very important.
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.
Anybody can import up to 90 days of a prescription only medicine for their personal consumption into the UK. What I am questioning is obtaining from a European country without a prescription (unless eastern block). Liothyronine in most european countries is prescription only and there must be some form of prescription, unless over the counter in a certain country
So you're not saying it's illegal for us to purchase without prescription, but it is illegal for European pharmacies to sell to us without prescription?
Not illegal for the individual, but for the supplier. Pharmacies cannot simply dish out prescription only medicines, with no prescription. This becomes a free for all with no monitoring and everyone self-diagnosing
It's not written anywhere in statute, its more if you were caught importing via customs (postal or airport), what quantity do they turn a blind eye to and what's imported for resale. The USA adopt the same policy help.cbp.gov/s/article/Arti...
A valid prescription or doctors note is required on all medication entering the United States.
And those on T3 might need anything from, say, 2.5 to even 100 or more micrograms a day. A massive spread. Very difficult and wrong to apply any time to a specific quantity on the basis of ordered quantity only. Especially difficult when someone first tries T3.
Also, if purchasing by any form of internet supply, HMRC/Border Force would have to maintain information over time to preclude simply making multiple small purchases. And do so across all members of a household to prevent person and partner both buying separately.
Please be careful when making statments of fact like that, it is perfectly legal, as they are for my own use only.
I agree that buying meds online is risky, but NICE & the NHS are not helping people.
I was prescribed T3 by an endo over 20 years ago, because T4 alone doesn't work for me. NICE did their great deal for T3 and suddenly it seems I'm fine and don't need T3 after all.
My doctor refuses a private presciption to allow me to buy safely, presumably because that would make her a hypocrite. I either need T3 or I don't. Funnily enough stopping nearly destroyed my relationships and career.
Some may choose to spend their life in ill health and misery, but I chose to do something about it.
As a matter of interest, Thyroid Support Group Norfolk won their 3-year campaign to get T3 reinstated which finally happened in 2020.
This year they gave the group data showing that, although the number of T3 prescriptions has risen in Norfolk, the price paid has gone down because the cost of T3 has reduced so much (over an 80% reduction) So allowing T3 does not open a floodgate and break the bank.
This data is included in the joint thyroid groups' latest "T3 Prescribing Report 2022", which shows that over half of CCGs/ICBS do not follow the national guidance. Use this wherever is helpful!
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