Cost of Wockhardt levothyroxine

[Wockhardt75]

Just been informed that Wockhardt costs the pharmacy an extra £1 a box, so if I want them to order it in for me I will have to pay the extra cost. The alternative is Teva which quite clearly has the thyroxine market all sewn up 😡.I am willing to pay the extra to get the brand I need however it is the insidious nature of health care in the UK at the moment that is making me very sad for those who cannot ( and indeed shouldn't have to) pay extra for an essential medication 😢

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Your GP could/should specify the brand on the prescription then the pharmacy gets full amount paid to them

You should not need to pay the difference

Prescription needs to be written correctly

See attached images

How to specify brand levothyroxine

[Wockhardt75 in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you Slow Dragon. My GP prescription is the red one! I will have to go back again and ask them to change it.Thank you to everyone on here for your help.

[Cavapoochonowner in reply to SlowDragon]

Hello there SlowDragon,My Doctor specifically put on my prescription 25mcg levothyroxine (not Teva) but my chemist says that all prescriptions go to a central HUB and they send the one they have,you can't specify.I have to get round it by ordering that prescription separately from my others ,then when I pick it up if it's Teva(normally is) I have to hand it back,they reissue my prescription and I have to try other pharmacies to see what brand they have.What a faff.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Cavapoochonowner]

If the prescription were properly written for a single product, that *should* require the pharmacy to dispense the specified product. And, if they don't, would clearly be grounds for complaint on multiple grounds.

But, as it stands, "not Teva" seems to have no standing whatsoever - just informal advice.

[Zephyrbear]

I have Wockhardt named on my prescription as it’s the only brand of Levothyroxine that doesn’t provoke an allergic reaction (I used to get hives from any other brand), but I have never been asked to pay a “supplementary” fee for having it. I think you should find a different pharmacy as this one is taking you for a bit of a ride…

[Alanna012 in reply to Zephyrbear]

Zephyrbear what reaction did you used to get. My doctor is giving me a one off prescription of liquid levo BUT says the price is ridiculous so if it works( I haven't collected yet) I'll have to justify the need!

[Zephyrbear in reply to Alanna012]

The pharmacy that dispenses my meds is in-house with the surgery. In the beginning when I was first diagnosed with AI thyroid I was never given the same brand of T4 twice in a row and I spent time scratching myself raw. Then when I was prescribed T3, my T4 dose fell to 25mcg/day and I was given Wockhardt after which I never itched again. Initially, I would ask specifically for Wockhardt on each repeat prescription request (and I did get the occasional hiccup where they gave me some other brand that I would refuse) and in the end they added the brand name to my prescription. Oddly enough, I have the Advanz T3 which is fine.

[Alanna012 in reply to Zephyrbear]

Many thanks! I didn't know Advanz did T3

[Zephyrbear in reply to Alanna012]

Sometimes still known as Mercury Pharma or Concordia... but Advanz now.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Alanna012]

Alanna,

The Advanz product (whether the packet says Advanz, Mercury, Goldshield or even Glaxo) used to be called Tertroxin.

"Debranding" it to just generic liothyronine is what set in motion everything that culminated in the massively inflated cost (around £250 for 28 tablets), and the Competition and Markets Authority inquiry which has very recently ended up with the very substantial fine discussed here.

Until Morningside launched their liothyronine products, it was the only liothyronine tablet approved in the UK.

See my post:

Dr Pete Taylor’s Fund Thyroid Research Petition 📣🔔🔊💬

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[Alanna012 in reply to helvella]

I see! Thanks!

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

I've been trying to find out the legality of such an additional charge.

However, a lot of the obvious sites are behind professional logins (not paywalls - just requires validated professional status). Hence in accessible to me.

As a first reaction, I'd be amazed if it is legal. After all, if it were legal, we'd surely see the issue raised again and again - not just occasionally.

If you personally feel you have to agree to pay, please make sure you get a receipt detailing what you are paying for. After all, you want proof.

It is true that the indicative price of Wockhardt is around a pound higher. But we patients cannot get sufficient information so as to be clear the pharmacy is actually being charged more. They are hardly going to provide detailed financial information to any patient who asks. Without that, we cannot know if there is a system of discounts in place, or other approaches which undermine their claim.

[Wockhardt75 in reply to helvella]

I'm sure it's probably unethical if nothing else! At least this pharmacy is being honest in discussing the issue, all the others just mumble that they have to dispense what they receive which is rubbish. It's just exhausting fighting a battle to get essential meds 😪