hi,
I have never paid for Wockhardt before, but it is hard to get hold of. I just went into my pharmacy and checked they can get it for my next prescription (they do me 6 months worth at a time to avoid scrabbling around for Wockhardt each time) and she said I have to pay £18 towards it because it’s not included in the drug tariff?! Say what?
Presumably you mean an nhs prescription
Pharmacies get a fixed amount from Gov/NHS to supply a particular medication on your prescription
This is sometimes not high enough amount of £ to cover supplying anything other than cheapest brand
So they either have to supply at a loss or say it brand is not available
But first time heard of a possible fee get around this problem
Yes NHS. Ah ok, fair enough. Thanks for the info. I will pay it to not get side effects. I think I’m instantly defensive and jump to them being difficult because I have had such a nightmare with the entire system. I have had to go privately to get diagnosed with underactive thyroid, chronic UTI, PoTS, hypermobility and gynae problems!
I read about that last summer when we were on the Isle of Wight where they seemed to be having problems with pharmacies. . The NHS does not cover the cost of all meds and the pharmacy has to supply at a loss which to me is just bizarre. No wonder pharmacies are closing down / going out of business. Yet at the same time they are expected to be covering work traditionally done by doctors.
I have a named brand of blood pressure tablet and I often get a message to say it is unavailable, I was thinking of asking if I could just pay for it but most times it arrives eventually.
I've just spoken to the new owner of my local pharmacy. He told me that there are now 400 medicines that the NHS doesn't fully cover their cost.
I doubt Wockhardt is one of them but even if it was it would likely be a few pennies different.
It doesn't sound legal that they want to charge you.
Suggest you find a different pharmacy, which is what I did until my local one changed ownership again. Thankfully its now back to being an independent!
Boots in town told me they couldn’t get the brand I want - that was it - go somewhere else. Lloyds don’t dal with it either but they said to try an independent pharmacy in a village about five miles away who so far seem to be able to get it. Independent pharmacies seem to be much better.
Levothyroxine 25 microgram tablets are in the NHS Drug Tariff.
Levothyroxine sodium 25microgram tablets 28 77 M
drugtariff.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/#/...
They are Category M which is described like this:
Category M
This category lists drugs which are readily available.
The reimbursement price is calculated by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) based on information submitted by manufacturers.
faq.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/knowledge...
Wockhardt 25 microgram levothyroxine tablets are listed in the DM+D database (used by the whole of NHS England). Current price - 176 pence for 28 tablets. And that has been their price since 11/09/2019.
That price is higher than the price in the NHS Drug Tariff.
(Technically, the DM+D lists by supplier rather than manufacturer. But in this case they are supplier and manufacturer.)
dmd-browser.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/a...
I think the above broadly aligns with the British National Formulary information:
bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/levot...
I do not believe that any pharmacy with an NHS contract is allowed to charge patients for medicines supplied on NHS prescriptions. They can only charge the NHS Prescription Charge if the patient is not exempt. (Effectively, collecting those prescription charges on behalf of the NHS.)
You might be able to afford the £18. (I'm neither asking nor assuming.)
But if a pharmacy can spout this in order to make their own charges in this case, what is to stop them doing so for medicine after medicine after medicine? And maybe a good deal more than £18.
If they charge £18 now - effectively an increase of £18 to you compared with last time, what stops it being £36 next time? Or £54 the time after?
I have much understanding that pharmacies are being unfairly, wrongly squeezed. But it is not acceptable to make these additional demands. What would happen if you can't pay?
If you decide to pay (and I'll make no judgement whether you do or do not - it is your personal decision), then do ask for a proper written receipt. Not just a till receipt which does not identify what is being paid for.
That at least gives you some evidence if you decide to take up the issue.
Is this a branch of a chain? Or a stand-alone independent pharmacy?
I note that other prices for 25 microgram levothyroxine tablets shown in DM+D are:
Advanz Pharma (Mercury Pharma) levothyroxine - 305 pence.
Advanz Pharma (Mercury Pharma) Eltroxin - 254 pence.
Teva - 75 pence.
An unrelated experience I had yesterday was to visit my local Boots pharmacy. I wanted a nasal spray for a horrible winter virus I am beginning to recover from, I hadn’t bought one for many years, I knew what I wanted but my wife said talk to the pharmacist because of meds I was on. I did, but if I hadn’t said ‘no thanks’ to various other items she and a sales attendant said I would benefit from I would have come out with several items than just the Vick, Sinex, which was all I wanted. Re Pharmacy First’…..watch out for the unnecessary upsells, especially from the chains in this new era of seeking medical help through them.
Thanks for all the information. It’s an independent pharmacy. I just had a look at the link and it is roughly £1 more per box than the NHS drug tariff, which is what they said the would charge me 🤷♀️
This is all hugely important. Yes the pharmacies are being squeezed but this is all wrong. That phrase we hear more and more “Privatisation by Stealth” comes very much to mind.
I won’t judge you either RoseStar needs must. Keep your receipt and maybe take it up with the Prescription Authority. I have no idea if they deal with this sort of thing or not though.
I’ve been unable to get my usual Wockhardt recently despite it being specified on my prescription and have been offered other brands in its place. I haven’t been asked yet to stump up cash to get hold of some!
Is this a NHS prescription or private prescription? If NHS, I am not convinced asking patient to pay anything other than the usual NHS prescription charge is legal.
And if you have thyroid meds all your prescriptions are free anyway!
'if you have thyroid meds all your prescriptions are free'
Providing you have applied for and received the medical exemption card.
I have just picked up my prescription and its wockhardt no problems and no extra charge!
I've not heard that before - I have wockhardt every month from my pharmacy ! 
I had a similar problem. They had to order wockhardt especially for me and charged me £1 per box 'because it was more expensive'. I was very sceptical but paid up for an easy life. I wasn't given a receipt and it wasn't put through the till while I was there. I collected a new prescription yesterday and they gave me Teva again. I returned it and they said they would order wockhardt (as per my request). No mention of a charge but we will see.
Do you have Wockhardt specified on your presciption?
I’m still getting my Wockhardt
Back around September 2023, this issue cropped up and I contacted the Regulations Officer at Community Pharmacy England. Below is most of her response:
We represent all community pharmacies in England, more information about our role can be found on our about us page.
We can confirm that pharmacies are not obliged to dispense a prescription item from a certain manufacturer if a prescription is written generically, they also would not be reimbursed for dispensing a prescription item in this way.
But she did not actually directly answer whether an additional charge is acceptable.
I have now also emailed General Pharmaceutical Council who are supposed to be the regulators.
Thank you! What I don’t understand is NHSBSA say that it’s in the Drug Tariff but then from the link above, the NHS are only covering 76p when they are £1.78, so surely pharmacies are going short? I don’t get the ins and outs
Yes, it is in the Drug Tariff as plain levothyroxine 25microgram tablets.
Yes, there is a price difference between what the pharmacy can claim and what they have to pay.
Yes, it is a problem for the pharmacies.
But it should not be individual patients being put in that position. Just think of individuals who are in extreme poverty suddenly being told that they have to pay out.
Think also that next month, supply issues could mean they can only get hold of Wockhardt. Should they then surcharge all their patients who get levothyroxine 25microgram tablets? Or only those who have "Wockhardt" written on their prescriptions?
And do remember that the pharmacies do get a dispensing fee as well. (Though I know it is not generous, it needs to be taken into account.)
I feel your pain....I've had huge problems getting Teva Liothyronine. It is named on my prescription in the notes/2nd line. Boots usually get it for me without issue but this time they said they couldn't get it and all their suppliers had none. All the alternatives contained mannitol which has bad side effects for me, or there's Mercury pharma which doesn't work for me. They told me to try other independent pharmacies. I tried loads. It was either not in stock/not available to order, or they can't order specific brands and have to take what they're sent, or (for 2 pharmacies), they could get it (from a supplier who told Boots it's not available), but needed the wording on prescription changed so the brand name is on the 1st line so they can get the full cost back as Teva is a lot more expensive than generic brands. I even offered to pay the difference but was told i couldn't. There isn't a shortage as I contacted Teva, who said there was plenty in stock and my local warehouses had it. My GP has said they can't change the way the prescription is worded on the system. The Pharmacy willing to order said a work around would be a hand written script but the GP aren't being cooperative for some reason. I'd been back to Boots and told them where it was in stock according to the manufacturer but their system still showed it as not available, despite the other pharmacy showing it as available. I've been back to Boots several times, (they're really fed up with me), updating them on availability as Teva advised me Alliance, Boots' main supplier had been re-stocked Mon but Weds it was still showing as not available. I went back Friday (as no luck getting GP to change prescription ) and Boots finally had Teva on the system. They said they'd order but couldn't guarantee the supplier would send it and not another brand.
So what happens to someone who's lactose intolerant if you can't ask for a named brand and there's only 1 brand that doesn't contain lactose?The system is so broken....
I even offered to pay the difference but was told i couldn't.
This is why it is so odd that we have seen a small number told they MUST pay an extra charge!
At present, for lactose-free, pray you only need 100 microgram tablets and the prescription can be written for Vencamil!
Pharmacies are apparently struggling to stay afloat these days, so can't blame them for trying to pull money in wherever they can.
But I cannot see extra charging on NHS prescriptions as being legit. And I wonder whether that happens outside of England (i.e. the UK nations that have totally free prescriptions)?
I have a lot of understanding.
But I would rather pay the proper price for the medicine (e.g. the price in the NHS' DM+D), plus a small margin, than be charged a mysterious and undocumented increment which appears to go outside the NHS rules. But just might be allowed.
Just imagine, next month, shortages mean the ONLY 25 microgram levothyroxine that is available is Wockhardt. Suddenly, everyone who is prescribed that dosage gets an out of the blue charge. No matter how rich or poor they are.
Hiya. Sorry if I’m being dull & am missing some info or telling you nothing much new!
I get workhardt 25mcg ( the rest of my script is someone else) repeatedly on an nhs prescription. I don’t have to pay for any of it as i’ve got a medical exemption certificate which everyone with hashi’s is entitled to, meaning we don’t have to pay for any or our nhs scripts ever, or until the govt decides we can’t!
I have until this time 😩
An exemption or your script? Urgh, nightmare
Wockhardt is the only brand that suits me. I get mine from a wonderful small independent pharmacy..the big chains didn't want to know. I believe if your GP practice stipulates Wockhardt on your prescription the full cost will be covered by the NHS
I asked them to stipulate on it ages ago. This is the only time I’ve been told I will be charged, so it must be a new thing judging by some other replies too
Community Pharmacy England have specific advice on how to write prescriptions. And your prescriber has not followed that advice. (Might not even know of them!)
cpe.org.uk/our-news/levothy...
The make needs to be on the first line. (And they do not need to say "pls" in case that takes too much space!)
So the first line should say:
Levothyroxine sodium 25 micrograms (Wockhardt)
If done correctly, the pharmacy can point at the prescription and charge the NHS the right rate for Wockhardt. But in the way yours has been done, they can only charge the standard NHS Drug Tariff price.
I’ll give it a go but don’t hold out much hope 🫣 Would they be the people to contact to ask if it’s correct that charges are being made outside the drug tariff?
The NHS only pays for the generic medication, not a named one. I had problems when I was moved from Seroxat to Paroxetine for depression some years ago. It had taken several attempts to find something that I could tolerate. Fortunately once I got used to it the Paroxetine was tolerable.
But there is no mechanism for patients to pay!
NHS doctors are not allowed to write private prescriptions for medicines available on NHS.
If the doctor writes, say, Eltroxin or Vencamil, that is allowed.
And the NHS and all involved would be in deep legal mess if they refused due to allergy/intolerance and a patient died.
And the NHS is supposed, where feasible, to support patients who wish to avoid animal products for moral or religious reasons. (If suitable products exist.)
hi. I use that brand and have not had a problem so far boots get it for me each month
Sylvie
well, well, well…. I spoke to the clinical pharmacist at my surgery and the NHSBSA and they said there should absolutely be no charge. I’m worried putting this to the pharmacist that they will just say they can’t source it for me anymore as there are few other pharmacies close by
First, thank you for contacting them and posting back. Afraid sometimes something like that is suggested but the person doesn't follow through for whatever reason.
It is much better someone having a problem does this. I have sometimes contacted organisations and found lack of the details of a real and identifiable example has made it difficult.
What you have said is not a surprise but extremely good to have it confirmed.
Handling the issue is the problem. Whatever understanding we might have of the difficulties of pharmacists, inventing surcharge systems is just plain wrong.
Another thought, maybe it would be worth contacting your MP? (Regardless party affiliation.)
my husband has just been in and showed them the email with the BSA. She said it’s irrelevant because it’s not covered by the Drug Tariff and leaves the pharmacy out of pocket, so we have to pay it. I have told him to ask for a receipt 😠
I think 🍄 helvella would like to read this
I'm continuing to chase this up.
Will post when I hear more.
the NHSBSA have come back today and told me to report it as fraud. I am waiting to hear back from the integrated care board first
Wow!
I wasn't expecting that.
There is definitely some huge system failure here as the pharmacist was so assured in what she was saying and wasn’t phased by the BSA email. She said they do not have the money to cover the costs and it’s as simple as that.
I agree. The pharmacies are in a horrible place but the issues simply cannot be addressed by applying some sort of ad hoc surcharge.
They need to talk to each other instead of getting me to go back and forth between the two (this is so absurd and seems to happen to me all the time with healthcare). The BSA said if it’s happening to you, it’s probably happening to others - and I said yes it is! The BSA are adamant that because it’s stated on my prescription and it’s in the dm+d register that they would be reimbursed correctly, but the pharmacist wouldn’t have any of it
I have use workhart for seven years and would like to know why you prefer that brand
Wockhardt Thyroxine tablets...
wockhardt levothyroxine
Wockhardt or Actavis?
