Teva t3 expensive : My pharmacist said she has... - Thyroid UK

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Teva t3 expensive

Geegee777 profile image
50 Replies

My pharmacist said she has got me teva t3 20mcg tablets... She said they cost £300 for a box of 28. Is this correct?

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Geegee777
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TiggerMe profile image
TiggerMeAmbassador

Not true... I think they are currently the cheapest at £50 - £55 a box

April 2023 £50.60 she's about 5-6 years out of date 🤷‍♀️

JonnyA profile image
JonnyA in reply toTiggerMe

I pay £60 for 100 Thybon Henning 20mg tablets; so 60p per tablet. Worth looking into.

TiggerMe profile image
TiggerMeAmbassador in reply toJonnyA

Hi, I think GG gets it via the NHS (free) so hence the snotty pharmacist who needs to update their system 😬

Irritatingly the NHS won't supply Thybon Henning 🙄

Hashiboy profile image
Hashiboy in reply toTiggerMe

I asked a few pharmacists and they say they have a hard time sourcing lots of brands of all kinds of medicine lately and so won't commit to getting one particular brand as too much work for them. ☹️

TiggerMe profile image
TiggerMeAmbassador in reply toHashiboy

Bad isn’t it 😕

Hashiboy profile image
Hashiboy in reply toTiggerMe

Hi TiggerMe , yep seems a bit more difficult. Like JonnyA says it can still be got privately easily enough for about 60p a pill and definitely not the mad price Geegee777 was quoted.

TiggerMe profile image
TiggerMeAmbassador in reply toHashiboy

The NHS seem to offer inferior products and pay OTT 😕

BB001 profile image
BB001 in reply toTiggerMe

The NHS will supply thybon henning on an unlicensed basis if you have a qualifying reason such as allergies and intolerances to other T3 medication.

I get an NHS green prescription and post it to the pharmacist Dimple at Tollesbury Pharmacy 12a East Street Tollesbury Essex CM9 8QD. Dimple posts back my T3.

Dimple will send you a form to be completed by your GP confirming you have a need for thybon henning T3.

mountainice profile image
mountainice in reply toJonnyA

Me too, Thybon at £60

lynnwin profile image
lynnwin in reply toJonnyA

can I ask you where you source your TH ? X

Jaydee1507 profile image
Jaydee1507Administrator in reply tolynnwin

Its usually recommended to phone around some of the pharmacies listed in this link and get quotes before sending them your prescription.

thyroiduk.org/if-you-are-hy...

Geegee777 profile image
Geegee777 in reply toTiggerMe

😐

Rowing2 profile image
Rowing2 in reply toTiggerMe

The nhs took the pharmaceutical company to court for overpricing and recently won. However from what I can gather lio comes in 2 different mcg in England and one is on nhs and one isn’t. To get the nhs lio for free you have to have discussed with endocrinologist and then agreed you can hv them( think that’s all to do with the source of funding) My tsh is low so mine wouldnt authorise it 🙁, but what he did say is that in the next 6 months thing will be changing regarding authorisation of thyroid meds ……didnt say what, but let’s see.

TiggerMe profile image
TiggerMeAmbassador in reply toRowing2

Hmmm... very interesting! I do get Lio via the NHS but I hear such great things about Thybon Henning I think it is a slightly different form... which I must go and look up and make a note of ready for Endo chat on Monday 🤗

Sorry I don't understand the '2 different mcg in England ' how does that work? Presently I have the option of Roma as lactose free 5/10/20mcg or Teva 20mcg

Though on 15mcg I get 5's so a dear route for the NHS

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministrator in reply toTiggerMe

I think it is a slight misapprehension.

As you say, there are three dosages available, both in tablets and in capsules. 5, 10 and 20 micrograms.

Thybon Henning uses liothyronine hydrochloride as its active ingredient. All other products I have seen use liothyronine sodium. Whether that is, or isn't, significant is unclear - I've never seen any definite information. How do you identify whether it is that difference? Or all the other factors which make medicines differ (ingredients, manufacturing processes, etc.)?

helvella's medicines documents (UK and Rest of the World) can be found here:

helvella - Thyroid Hormone Medicines

helvella has created, and tries to maintain, documents containing details of all thyroid hormone medicines in the UK and, in less detail, many others around the world.

This link takes you to a page which has direct links to the documents from Dropbox and Google Drive, and QR codes to make it easy to access from phones.

The UK document contains up-to-date versions of the Summary Matrix for tablets, oral solutions and liothyronine available in the UK.

helvella.blogspot.com/p/hel...

TiggerMe profile image
TiggerMeAmbassador in reply tohelvella

Thanks 🍄I'm just arming myself for a bit of Endo duelling... my other option is Teva Lio but Thybon Henning seems to often be revered.... ideally I'd like to be given all the options and test run them to see what suits me best 🤣 shocking idea I know!

As we know giving me 5mcg is a dear route I thought I might have some leverage 😏

Change is as good as a rest eh... not really enamoured with Roma but I think the cortisol talk is probably on the agenda

We've chatted ingredients before... I need to go revisit and get up to speed again 🤗

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministrator in reply toTiggerMe

You just might find it worth reading the link below - and adopting tactics that are to your advantage.

And, whilst Thybon Henning is often appreciated, it is like all other thyroid medicines. We are all different.

Supply unlicensed medicinal products (specials)

Guidance on manufacturing, importing, distributing and supplying specially manufactured or ordered products, including cannabis-based products for medicinal use in humans (CBPMs), known as 'specials'

gov.uk/government/publicati...

TiggerMe profile image
TiggerMeAmbassador in reply tohelvella

Thanks 🍄I think..... 21 pages!! I'm off for a constitution stroll before tackling that one 😬

Shelleyblue profile image
Shelleyblue in reply tohelvella

What is the difference between liothyronine hydrochloride and liothyroni e sodium please ? :)

Lalatoot profile image
Lalatoot in reply toShelleyblue

No difference really. Both are liothyronine. More important is what fillers the different brands have and which one you get on with.

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministrator in reply toShelleyblue

As Lalatoot said, no real difference.

At one end of the liothyronine, there is either:

One atom of sodium

OR

One atom of hydrogen and one atom of chlorine.

It's perfectly possible that by the time it gets through your stomach, there is no chemical difference at all.

I don't think anyone can show, beyond doubt, that it makes any difference.

Lovecake profile image
Lovecake in reply toTiggerMe

I have Thybon and my endo said it was better tolerated than most other T3. I have trouble with many tablets (especially generic) but get on with Thybon Henning just fine. I can even take it with a migraine, which I cannot do with thyroxine (makes the migraine worse).

I have more control with having a private endo. My heart sinks when I read the dreadful stories of what others go through with the nhs and T3 prescribing. Just a shame I have to pay for the fees in order to get the T3. But I suppose I can’t have it all…….

TiggerMe profile image
TiggerMeAmbassador in reply toLovecake

Yes I seem to hear that quite often about TH.... I'm still in the early stages of educating an NHS Endo but I might tire of it quickly if too much of a drain... When you use a private Endo do the NHS still have it on your records that you need and use privately sourced T3?

Lovecake profile image
Lovecake in reply toTiggerMe

Yes. They send a letter to my GP and me outlining everything that was discussed. Telling my GP the amounts of T4 and T3 I take daily. They also request blood tests to be done via my GP and any other tests too. Although the first time (2017) they asked for a DEXA scan my then GP either forgot, or ignored the request. This recent request has only been sent in the last 2 weeks. So we’ll see…… My current GP is pretty good and I get on with her 😎

TiggerMe profile image
TiggerMeAmbassador in reply toLovecake

That sounds very civilised! Interesting that they can get your GP to do testing...

That gives me a little more comfort knowing it still shows on records rather than returning to when I initially self sourced before seeing the Endo... that was just a footnote to be overlooked!

Lovecake profile image
Lovecake in reply toTiggerMe

The endo said “why should you have to pay for a blood test?” “You should get it all on the nhs really”

But I don’t think they are really complaining. Must be raking it in……🫣

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministrator

We know what the NHS lists as the price on the drug tariff - but that is how much they will pay the pharmacy. In most cases, we cannot know the cost to the pharmacy.

And cost-shaming patients is highly unprofessional and deeply unethical. (Even if not intended, it looks to me that is how it has affected you.)

Current NHS Drug Tariff Liothyronine Prices

Link to a blog post of Monthly NHS Drug Tariff prices for Liothyronine products from January 2023 onwards.

Also includes link to information for Scotland.

helvella.blogspot.com/p/cur...

I'm a bit confused because your profile discusses Thybon Henning.

TiggerMe profile image
TiggerMeAmbassador in reply tohelvella

You would assume the pharmacist would refuse to supply if they can't get is at a reasonable price? Like you say accusing the patient of not being worthy of such a spend is ridiculous! I seem to remember GG was hoping for Thybon Henning but got Roma and has swapped again 🤷‍♀️

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministrator in reply toTiggerMe

The situation where NHS will pay X but pharmacy is charged many times X is madness.

Both options - pharmacy losing out big time and patient not getting the prescribed medicine - are unsustainable and demonstrate a failure of the system of reimbursement.

Especially when pharmacies are closing but also expected to take on more work.

Geegee777 profile image
Geegee777 in reply tohelvella

I am still taking Thybon Henning, i have a stash, a bit out of date, but im quite fine. Just need to choose alternative. Im thinking if increasing levo, to purchase thybon until levo increment improves t4, then change t3 brand🤔 does this sound ok?

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministrator in reply toGeegee777

If you are doing fine, I suggest you do whatever you can to remain on Thybon Henning.

An awful lot of sad stories come about due to changing products.

Geegee777 profile image
Geegee777 in reply tohelvella

Thankyou for that, my gut instinct says pay £54 for a box of 100, for now

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministrator in reply toGeegee777

Do bear in mind, I do not take T3 so can only go by what I read from others.

(I've experienced issues with T4 so have some general understanding.)

Geegee777 profile image
Geegee777 in reply tohelvella

I will post my results from endo as soon as I get them, post on this most fantabulous forum and go from there, thanks for your help

Lavender-Blue profile image
Lavender-Blue

I pay £27.99 for 28 from Springfield pharmacy and Just under £8.00 P&P.

Geegee777 profile image
Geegee777 in reply toLavender-Blue

Is that for Teva t3?

Lavender-Blue profile image
Lavender-Blue in reply toGeegee777

Yes!

ColdBanana profile image
ColdBanana

Unrelated, but how do you find t3 only in terms of effects? I paid £11 for 100 25mcg tablets, so yours sounds certainly expensive

Geegee777 profile image
Geegee777 in reply toColdBanana

Maybe she was acting unprofessionally, certainly made me think what brand to go for.

Shaldonkoo profile image
Shaldonkoo

I changed to online pharmacy as my pharmacist would say this to keep every time. Cant bear to go in there now!!

Quasarlis profile image
Quasarlis

I’m not sure …. But if you are in need of sourcing your own I can give you a supplier that charges around £12.00 for a box of 100 25mg T3 pills … PM me if you want name of the supplier.

Craftlover profile image
Craftlover

Hi. I class myself as one of the lucky ones. I bought my own Thybon from Germany with a gp’s private prescription until we left the EU and it was no longer possible to do so. Due to the drop in price my GP agreed to give it to me on the nhs.

Firstly they gave me Teva which l refused. The GP spoke the pharmacist who told him how to fill in the prescription correctly and l now get Thybon on the nhs for free. It is possible but you have to have a good GP, Endo and chemist, all the ducks in a row before you get it.

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministrator

It might be reasonable to ask her to double-check and then show you how much it costs her.

Geegee777 profile image
Geegee777 in reply tohelvella

I think ill stay on thybon henning until October, then during the winter months I'll try an nhs alternative, whether Teva t3 or Roma, not quite sure yet

tzracer profile image
tzracer

sounds expensive. I get mercury pharma on NHS prescription but don't have to pay so no idea on cost.

When I was buying, cytomel 25mcg was around £17 per 100 by the time you got them into the UK.

Hope the get the price corrected for you.

Mercury pharma 20mcg liothyronine
tzracer profile image
tzracer in reply totzracer

Ot these 20mcg in unbranded bottle

20mcg liothyronine
BB001 profile image
BB001 in reply totzracer

You can identify the pill from this site webmd.com/pill-identificati...

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministrator in reply toBB001

You can identify them from my documents:

helvella's medicines documents (UK and Rest of the World) can be found here:

helvella - Thyroid Hormone Medicines

helvella has created, and tries to maintain, documents containing details of all thyroid hormone medicines in the UK and, in less detail, many others around the world.

This link takes you to a page which has direct links to the documents from Dropbox and Google Drive, and QR codes to make it easy to access from phones.

The UK document contains up-to-date versions of the Summary Matrix for tablets, oral solutions and liothyronine available in the UK.

helvella.blogspot.com/p/hel...

Screenshot of my thyroid hormone medicines doc. showing Advanz/Mercury Pharma liothyronine
Shelleyblue profile image
Shelleyblue

I think some wholesaler stockists are now making TEVA liothyronine hard to get due to price - think they've put up the price of TEVA T3 and reduced the ROMA T3 capsules. Most ICB and hospitals are changing their patients over to ROMA T3 capsules. :/ So your pharmacist could be right. :(

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministrator in reply toShelleyblue

Roma T3 capsules have been the same price since their launch. And, unlike many medicines, the price is the company's list price. So is clearly visible.

5 and 20 microgram - £55

10 microgram - £65

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