TEVA (Almus and Accord) Levothyroxine charges.

[irishacres]

Hi everyone hope you are all ok and dealing with our many issues

I thought you would like to know that Pharmacies have now changed their rules and I now have to pay £15 per 28 days just to have the generic TEVA brand. The NHS is now starting to charge EXTRA. Now in the 30 years I have been on TEVA I have not had to pay anything for prescriptions as it is one of 5 medications classed as “life saving”. I am a pensioner and supposed to have the one perk of getting old - free prescriptions. However I now have to pay the difference between this generic made in the UK for an inferior EU brand.

I was originally told they could not get them from their distributor. I phoned TEVA who said there were no problems with manufacture or distribution and the distributor should phone them if they had supply issues. Then it turned out the area manager had gone in and looked at all prescriptions and changed them to cheaper EU prescriptions! So much for BREXIT It’s now all about money not what is best for the patient 🤬🤬

My pharmacy told me because of the extra cost which I will have to pay for each TEVA brand I have, which is 3! I have to have TRVS so it look like I will have to pay

Has anyone else noticed a change in manufacturer of their meds? The privatisation of our NHS is in full swing!

[helvella Administrator]

Sounds like there is something very wrong here.

We have had a few members say something about being charged when they request particular makes - but what you are saying looks the worst case so far.

However, I am a little confused about some of what you have said.

Teva is an EU make and is manufactured in the EU.

Accord (and the own-label supplier versions) are manufactured in the UK.

Is this a solo pharmacy or a chain? If a chain, do you mind letting us know which one?

Why do you have to have Teva? I ask because, for example, if it is due to lactose, there is an alternative.

Most levothyroxine tablets cost less than one pound, and only 12.5 microgram tablets are anything like that expensive.

This is a link to the British National Formulary which lists the prices for the various products. (The company names are suppliers - which are only sometimes the same as the manufacturer/packet name.)

bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/levot...

[irishacres in reply to helvella]

Thank you for the link it’s very helpful and informative. Now I can go back to them with the actual costs and try and get more information. I may have misunderstood because I take 3 different TEVA medications. Although TEVA is a global manufacturer they also manufacture in the UK as I understood it. I spoke to TEVA UK in Cheshire Thanks for your help😁

[helvella Administrator in reply to irishacres]

Thanks for replying.

Teva do manufacture some products in the UK. But their levothyroxine tablets are all manufactured in Croatia:

Marketing Authorisation Holder

Teva UK Limited, Ridings Point, Whistler Drive,

Castleford, WF10 5HX, United Kingdom.

Manufacturer

PLIVA Croatia Ltd, Prilaz baruna Filipovića 25,

10000 Zagreb, CROATIA

If they insist on charging you anything at all, please ask for a receipt - ideally one that says what they have supplied (not just the numbers on a till roll).

I get Aristo Vencamil supplied by my local pharmacy. That is slightly more expensive than most but the pharmacy is OK about it.

Are they charging £5 per prescription - so £15 for three. Or £15 per prescription?

[irishacres in reply to helvella]

I don’t know if they are charging for each one, just one or two. I was so shocked at being told this I didn’t ask much They told me to ask my GP to put the brand first on the prescription and maybe they could get round it But my GP came back to me today and said because it is a generic brand they could not specify first, just added as message on dosage to request that brand looking at the list you gave me it can’t be for levothyroxine because they are just pence as you said

[helvella Administrator in reply to irishacres]

Appendix F of my UK medicines document explains how prescriptions can be written for specific makes. It includes details from NHS sources - so it is an entirely official approach.

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 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, etc. PLUS how to write prescriptions in Appendix F.

dropbox.com/s/bo2jzxucgp9hl...

helvella - World Desiccated Thyroid

Contains details of all known desiccated thyroid products including information about several products not considered to be Natural Desiccated Thyroid (NDT/Desiccated Thyroid Extract/DTE).

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.

dropbox.com/s/dliou4fszbegw...

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.

Last updated 19/07/2024

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

Screenshot of document

[helvella Administrator in reply to helvella]

And the next page!

Screenshot of document - 2

[irishacres in reply to helvella]

Bless you x

[RedApple Administrator]

Anyone in the UK, with an official NHS diagnosis of hypothyroidism, and receiving their medication prescribed by their NHS GP, should not be charged at all.

This pharmacy seems to be 'pulling a fast one'. Please tell us which pharmacy it is that has told you this.

[irishacres in reply to RedApple]

It’s an Independent pharmacy. I only go to them because they put my many medications in dose trays or cassettes as they are known as. It’s very difficult to get pharmacies to do them and there is a waiting list for them. Thanks to Helvella I now know how much each costs. Either I have been given the wrong information or misunderstood. I can go back to them now I have more information. I have 3 TEVA brand medications I understood it to be for each one but it may be just one from what the list says levothyroxine is pence so maybe it’s another one of the meds. Thank you!

[RedApple Administrator in reply to irishacres]

' I understood it to be for each one but it may be just one '

If it's an NHS prescription, you should not be charged at all. They may have their reasons for trying to charge you, but that doesn't make it ok.

[irishacres in reply to RedApple]

I agree an NHS prescription should be free. But they are saying the can’t take the difference in price do if I wanted to have this brand I would have to go somewhere else. It took years to get all my meds in trays so I can’t just switch as I will have to put in dossette myself and it takes me 4 hours a month due to my tremor. So whatever they say I guess I will have pay it but I’m not at all happy about it.

[RedApple Administrator in reply to irishacres]

You need to get something in writing from them explaining for what and why they are charging you. Any difference in price for levothyroxine is tiny. Don't just pay up without proof that they are allowed to charge you. And if/when you do pay anything, be sure to get a detailed receipt each time.

[nightingale-56 in reply to irishacres]

Our Pharmacy charges for actually putting the medication in dosette boxes. Do you think your Pharmacy is charging for this service and not the actual medication?

[Jaydee1507 Administrator]

Can I suggest that if you have a moment you contact your local MP about this? This needs nipping in the bud and is completely unacceptable.

[irishacres in reply to Jaydee1507]

How did you know that is exactly what I was thinking just now!! You must be a mind reader 😁 It’s worth a try thank you

[Jaydee1507 Administrator in reply to irishacres]

My previous MP (conservative) was in touch with local chemists regarding medicine supply issues and making efforts to alleviate the issues with that.

Local MP is now Lib Dem but I know this sort of issue is of interest to parliament.

Do let us know how this gets resolved and if your M P is helpful.

Good luck!

[irishacres in reply to Jaydee1507]

Will do. Thank you x