Has anyone noticed that Levothyroxine by Teva is being sent in boxes marketed by Hillcross. I’m really annoyed about this as I specifically said to the pharmacist that I can only tolerate Mercury Pharma brand. He said he would source them. He couldn’t, but suggested Accord. I said I’d check the PILs, they were identical, so I said OK to Mercury Pharma. I’ve had a few health issues since I got them, chest infection and a course of steroids and antibiotics and a bout of AFib so I took my eye off the ball. I had IBS symptoms for 2 weeks and put it down to antibiotics. Took my levo last night and noticed that the pill packet said Teva and it was in a box marked Hillcross. Has this happened to anyone else? I’ve been poorly for 2 weeks because I was given the wrong brand! It’s not like I could even check them as they were in a sealed box! I’m furious! Can’t even ring pharmacist, (out of my town) because they’re not accepting calls because they’re doing Covid jabs.
Teva being issued in Hillcross boxes! - Thyroid UK
Teva being issued in Hillcross boxes!
not that you'd be expected to know ,(the pharmacist should have), but just so you know in future , you CAN tell from the outside of the box,
Small print on the side
M.A. Holder:
Teva uk Limited.
yes and that is another one crossed off my list to take
ps.
it's only the 'Hillcross' 25mcg boxes that contain Teva
'Hillcross' 50mcg and 100 mcg boxes contain Accord.
see this post: healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
I understand what you’re saying but it’s not much use to me if I require 125 a day. Irrespective of the number of pills I need to take, I’m still intolerant to the fillers whether it’s a 25mg or 100mg pill.
oh ok .. i understood your post as meaning you were ok with Accord (100 and half a 50)
No I was given 100 accord and 25 Teva, which I just can’t tolerate.
Ah, OK. I've just been given hillcross with accord inside it. The box isn't tamper proof either. The tape at both ends was open/ cut. :/ I'm not happy with this at all. I expect my boxes to come with sealed ends. :/
I had thought that the seals should be intact - but the rules seem to be that the seal has to be intact from production to the pharmacy. But not from pharmacy to patient.
There is some sense - they might have to split packets, etc. But mine are at least almost always untouched.
As tattybogle has said, it is only the 25 microgram Hillcross that are Teva. The 50 and 100 are Accord.
I try VERY hard to maintain my UK medicines document up to date with this sort of information.
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. There is now a specific world desiccated thyroid document.
I highly recommend viewing on a computer screen, or a decent sized tablet, rather than a phone. Even I find it less than satisfactory trying to view them on my phone.
helvella - Thyroid Hormone Medicines - UK
The UK document contains up-to-date versions of the Summary Matrixes for levothyroxine tablets, oral solutions and also liothyronine available in the UK. Includes descriptions of tablet markings which allow identification. Latest updates include all declared ingredients for all UK products and links to Patient Information Leaflets, etc.
dropbox.com/s/bo2jzxucgp9hl...
helvella - World Desiccated Thyroid
Contains details of all known desiccated thyroid products.
dropbox.com/scl/fi/gx6dmz5i...
helvella - Thyroid Hormone Medicines - RotW
Contains details of all levothyroxine, liothyronine and combination products - excluding desiccated thyroid products. Details available vary by country and manufacturer.
The link below takes you to a blog page which has direct links to the documents from Dropbox and QR codes to make it easy to access from phones. You will have to scroll down or up to find the link to the document you want.
Thank you for replying. I wasn’t implying that your information wasn’t up to date. I was just shocked that what was in the box wasn’t what I expected, given that I had specifically told the pharmacist that I had an intolerance to both Teva and Wockhardt and wondered if anyone else had experienced this. Since I’m on 125mg, I needed 25mg to go alongside the 100s. I would have expected the pharmacist to warn me if it was not possible to get them since we’d had a couple of conversations about this and he remembered me asking about Mercury Pharma previously. Seems I need to be extra vigilant with every pharmacist even after discussing specifically and even though it’s noted as Mercury Pharma on the script and also in the cereal pharmacy database.
Since my gp now seems to be issuing digital scripts (my latest one was a digital one), with the intention that you can take it to any pharmacy, I will need to be extra vigilant wherever I go as pharmacists simply cannot be relied on to dispense what is requested. I have suffered unnecessarily for the past few weeks.
Do you think I need to yellow card it? I have previously done this for Teva marketed as Teva. Does the marketing make a difference?
Thank you for all you do to support us. It is very much appreciated.
Don't worry - I wasn't meaning you had suggested it was out of date. Just that I feel the need to emphasise it as so many other sources of information are out of date or are difficult to navigate. 
I am a real fan of Yellow Cards. But in this case, it is difficult to see what you would be reporting? By all means, complain about the packaging and the difficulty you had understanding what is what. Especially that different dosages of Hillcross are different products.
And from now on - always open the bag at the pharmacy counter and check what is in there before moving away.
I have opened the bag at the pharmacy counter in the past and the pharmacist refused to have the wrong pills back because I’d opened the bag! I had to go through the the process of explaining to my gp and getting a new script to get the correct pills and then handing the wrong pills back to be disposed of. They couldn't be issued to anyone else because they had my name on the boxes (even thought they hadn’t even left the shop). They wouldn’t reissue even though it was their mistake! I’ve had 12 years of this ridiculous and farcical system.
That is silly! Exactly that (unacceptable tablets - ironically Hillcross 25 microgram levothyroxine) happened the other week. And they just took them back because I was still at the counter.
Wish that had happened to me! It was very silly and illogical that they were prepared to destroy a 3 month supply of pills for their mistake! Talk about NHS waste! Infuriating! The same pharmacy destroyed a 6 month supply of T3 (when I finally got it prescribed by an endo after years of fighting for it and after battling with my GP to prescribe it) it was out of date! I could have benefited from that supply but couldn’t get it prescribed! That was when it was at its most expensive, so imagine the cost!
The whole system is broken.
Just re-read. Accord and Advanz Mercury Pharma do NOT have the same ingredients!
My UK medicines document lists ingredients.
Oh OK. I checked the PILs before I agreed to trial them?
Accord PIL: accord-products-production....
Advanz/Mercury Pharma PIL: mhraproducts4853.blob.core....
Did you sort your problem? What did you do? I am having exactly the same issue. Was okay for years until I moved nearer the surgery and now have to use the local Chemist which has recently been taken over and the pharmacist is not helpful in the slightest. They insist they give me Hillcross (Teva) even though I have politely stated that I cannot take Teva every month for the last 6 months. I work away so as always, today I phoned the chemist to ask politely not to put Teva/Hillcross in. Daughter collected my prescription later today. She opened the packet to find Hillcross, I instructed her to leave the Hillcross on the counter. I already have two unopened packages at home. I accept I will have to go under-dosed again for another month. Explained to receptionist at doctors, who won't let me make an phone appointment to speak to a doctor and was told simply I have to find another chemist. Trouble is, I am out in the sticks, the three nearest are all linked and owned by the same brothers. I tried to get the receptionist to stop my 25mg prescription as it is a waste of time and money to the NHS and also because I wanted to still get the 50mg and did not want them to give me the only 75mg tablet available which is Teva. Most on-line pharmacies that sell Levothyroxine privately will not sell a named brand and most show only Teva photo's.
I've just replied on another reply in this thread.
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Hillcross is not always Teva - only 25 microgram dosage.
25, 50 and 75 microgram tablets are now available from Aristo (as Vencamil), Crescent and Teva. (We don't hear much about Crescent but a few people have received some of their levothyroxine.)
If the prescription is written for Vencamil, the pharmacy has to supply that. (Some GP systems are not yet able to print prescriptions for these new dosages of Vencamil.)
I've just received a hillcross box and inside was accord tablet pack. So I was told its definitely accord and the PIL with the tablets said accord too- I am allergic to certain fillers so I need to check what's in the box. Box was not taped either so the hillcross company can put whatever they like in the box. 
I always check before I leave the pharmacy what is in the box so they can replace it without wasting it. :/
This is a misinterpretation of the situation.
Hillcross don't put anything in any boxes.
AAH own the brand Hillcross.
They pay Teva to supply 25 microgram tablets in Hillcross boxes.
They pay Accord to supply 50 and 100 microgram tablets in Hillcross boxes.
The outside of the box states who is the product licence holder for the product inside.
It is a requirement that the seal is intact from manufacture to the pharmacy. But the pharmacy sometimes need to open boxes - for example, to get at the Patient Information Leaflet, or to divide the contents.
My UK medicines document tells you EVERY listed exipient (non-active ingredient) in EVERY UK licensed thyroid hormone product.
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. There is now a specific world desiccated thyroid document.
I highly recommend viewing on a computer screen, or a decent sized tablet, rather than a phone. Even I find it less than satisfactory trying to view them on my phone.
helvella - Thyroid Hormone Medicines - UK
The UK document contains up-to-date versions of the Summary Matrixes for levothyroxine tablets, oral solutions and also liothyronine available in the UK. Includes injectables and descriptions of tablet markings which allow identification. Latest updates include all declared ingredients for all UK products and links to Patient Information Leaflets, Dictionary of Medicines and Devices (dm+d), etc. PLUS how to write prescriptions in Appendix F.
Also includes links for anti-thyroid medicines (but not product details).
Yesterday my pharmacy gave me Wockhardt Tamoxifen despite the fact that it clearly states on their system that I cannot tolerate either Wockhardt or Teva. Their answer, that was all they had in stock! After seeing my face, she said we’ll order from the suppliers and make sure it’s not Wockhardt or Teva.
Got to contact them today to see if they’ve managed to get it.
Can’t request a new prescription to go elsewhere because it was a prescription prescribed by my breast surgeon.
You couldn’t make it up! You wouldn’t give peanuts to someone with a peanut allergy but they expect me to use a 3 month supply of a med that I just can’t tolerate! Unbelievable!
I have this issue everytime that I fill a prescription so it’s not like they don’t know. I have so many medications prescribed since developing Hashimoto’s and it’s just exhausting having to be hyper vigilant on top of all the health issues. I’m just so fed up with it!
This same thing happened to me today now got headache and bad stomach I also told them I cant take TEVA brand but this happens all the time I have reported it
I sympathise. Teva does the same to me. I have yellow carded it too. It’s awful that you have to be hyper vigilant to make sure you get a med that you can tolerate. As if having thyroid problems isn’t enough!
Teva Liothyronine
Levothyroxine sodium 50mg
Help, Hillcross 100mcg
TEVA + Mercury Pharma
Hillcross thyroxine
