Out of stock Advanz/Mercury Pharma Liothyronine

[mischa]

Just to bring you up-to-date in my endeavour in trying to obtain the above medication. I've been in touch with the Managing Director of Boots and his assistant informs me that Alliance Healthcare (the sole supplier of the above medication) was sold to AmerisourceBergen in June 2021 and is no longer owned by Boots. But they gave me contact details of Alliance and also Advanz. I had already been in touch with them.

Alliance informs me that they have 'limited stock' and yet when I contacted Advanz, the manufacturers they tell me they are still producing the product. I relayed this information back to Alliance who ignored this but then said they are prepared to send a 'couple of boxes' to my Pharmacy if I furnish him with their details which I did. My Pharmacy telephoned me this morning saying they have a few boxes sent to them by the supplier if I could get my GP to fill out a prescription covering a few months. I filled out an online form for my GP requesting a prescription to cover a few months. Fingers crossed.

I wrote back to Alliance making it clear that I'm reliant on this medication for life and a few boxes here and there will not be sufficient and that could he reassure me that as they are the sole supplier of this brand of medication (as I'm intolerant of other brands) there will be a constant and regular supply that my Pharmacist will be able to obtain in the future. I am awaiting to hear from him.

Its left me wondering why he is telling me there is 'limited stock' when someone else at Alliance told me there are stocks but are held up in the main depot and further, Advanz is still manufacturing the same. What is going on. Shortage of staff maybe? This medication isn't a brand of paracetamol that you take now and then, it's vital and permanent.

Anyway, let's see what he says.

[TiggerMe Ambassador]

🚩 helvella

[buggles84 in reply to TiggerMe]

What's the red flag mean?

[helvella Administrator in reply to buggles84]

It is just to alert me to an issue!

[pffft2017]

The amount of pharmacies I've patronised that always use this excuse. Morningside and what used to be Teva are available.

[helvella Administrator]

I'd got so used to Alliance being owned by Boots, sorry for the mistake!

It is total rubbish, isn't it.

[mischa in reply to helvella]

Certainly is. I've was told by Alliance yesterday that stock is now available. Maybe complaining does work. I'd like to think so.

[mischa in reply to mischa]

Another interesting thing occurred was when I took back the wrong brand of Liothyronine they had given me, they subsequently told me they had binned that box of T3, despite it still being sealed, but kept the £60 they received from the NHS for the medication. They hadn't given me a replacement for that T3 because it wasn't in stock but still kept the money for it.

[Babette]

I picked some from Asda pharmacy over the weekend but they may have ordered it in before the problem started. They've been able to source it when other pharmacies (Rowlands, Tesco, Lloyds) haven't.

[mischa in reply to Babette]

Thank you for that info

[Afaghieh]

Hi Mischa

After chasing for days I am told this morning that LIOTHYRONINE IS BEEN STOPPED.

That is different from other information. Alliance HC wouldn't say anything because i don't have the contract. Is it possible for you to pm me with their tell No hope it's diferrent from what i have.

[mischa in reply to Afaghieh]

I find that difficult to believe. Just out of interest, who told you that?

[Afaghieh in reply to mischa]

Hi

HOOOOOOORAY last night boots called me to say they have my med. Today my son will collect it will be interesting to see which brand.

[mischa in reply to Afaghieh]

I have sent you details.

[Wua13262348]

I would be grateful if you could provide me with the contact details of Alliance and Advanz that you used to correspond with them. Did you email?

I recently had to change to Mercury Pharma/Advanz liquid levo. The independent pharmacy I got my last prescription of it from, told me yesterday, that they will no longer be using Alliance. They previously used 5 suppliers and their HQ have cut this to 2 in the last couple of days. When they got it for me, Boots couldn't get any. Boots checked all their UK depots, and there was none in their depots. The time before this, a different independent told me they could get it , and a day later said they couldn't. When I pushed the point that they said they could get it the day before, she phoned the huge Alliance depot less than 10 miles away and got it that way. She said there was low stock. At the next prescription they said they must now use a central hub and couldn't get it. I asked her to phone Alliance and she wouldn't and was quite unpleasant about it.

I am to phone another, different, independent chemist this afternoon to see if they can get it. I left the paper prescription with them yesterday and I told them that I hadn't phoned Mercury Pharma re. stock position, but that if they phoned them and it was in stock they would assist them in obtaining it. The staff member I dealt with will not be working today. All pharmacies seem to never have the same staff twice, being a neverending staff of different locums, which does not help the situation.

I phoned Mercury Pharma this morning and they have said that there is stock and no shortage.

Edited:  helvella The pharmacy who has my paper prescription, when I mentioned phoning Mercury Pharma made a comment which I think may have been, "so it might have to be a special then". If a pharmacy phones Mercury Pharma and they arrange for Alliance to send a few items of "low stock" does this then become a "special" in terms of reimbursement from the NHS??? I have a feeling that there is lots of paperwork and lengthy delay in payment to the pharmacist for this, BUT it is much more lucrative in that it qualifies for a much higher reimbursement from the NHS as it is a "special"?????Are Alliance milking the system , and forcing those Mercury Pharma/Allianz prescriptions to be specials as they have likely issued a low stock warning????

Success! Took prescription in yesterday about 4 p.m and ready 2p.m today. I'm betting it won't be available next prescription though.

[helvella Administrator in reply to Wua13262348]

I don't think it formally becomes a "special" but the pharmacy's accounts people might have to handle it differently.

A formal "special" starts with the prescription and the prescriber has to in some way justify the prescription. I think this is just that the bill might be issued other than as the pharmacy's regular account.

But I could be very wrong.

[Wua13262348 in reply to helvella]

Yes , must be something like that. The independent pharmacy chain who have cut their suppliers to 2 from 5, where will no longer be using Alliance-from a comment that was made , they may not have had a choice where Alliance concerned. The comment was to the effect that Alliance may no longer want to deal with any pharmacies which are not very big players in the pharmacy industry. Alliance MIGHT be cutting ties with small independents.