Hi Everyone,
I’ve been to collect my repeat prescription of Eltroxin 50mcg from Superdrug and they’ve told me it has been discontinued. Does anyone know if this is correct? Is anyone else having difficulties or can tell me where I can get Eltroxin? I cannot take the other brands because I’m allergic to the binders and fillers.
Any advice is much appreciated.
Mercury Pharma make 25mcg, 50mcg and 100mcg tablets
Mercury Pharma also boxed as Eltroxin.
Both often listed by company name on pharmacy database as Advanz
if Pharmacy can’t supply Mercury Pharma or Eltroxin take your prescription away and try different pharmacies
Many thanks for your reply, SlowDragon.
I’m thinking of changing pharmacists but lots have shut down where I live. Hence, trailing to Leeds on the bus and train because they promised they could get every item on my prescription. It makes life so hard because I’m going blind and I want to remain independent. My family work during the week and weekends are very busy so, I don’t want to put on them.
Bye for now.
TTxx.
You could use a specialist pharmacy like Springfield
Ring them and check they can supply first
thyroiduk.org/get-support/t...
Hi,
Thanks for your reply.
Unfortunately, I don’t think my GP will let me use this pharmacy because I have to put my paper prescription into them every month. The then local CCG stopped pharmacies ordering on behalf of patients because they thought that medications were dispensed and then wasted because patients didn’t need them. This caused me a load of problems initially because my local Superdrug wasn’t allowed to order 6 months of my medications in advance and could only order it in when my GP sent the script. It’s so frustrating that I’m back in this horrid situation because my local Superdrug has shut down and personal service has gone out of the window. I’m just a number on a computer screen!
Bye for now and many thanks for your help.
TTxx.
GP can easily send prescription electronically each month to pharmacy of your choice
You could also request prescription changed to every 2 months
Pharmacy can then post prescription to you. You do have to pay Post and packing costs
The electronic prescription options are not universal within the UK.
I'm not absolutely clear about the details, but I think they do not work like that if the prescriber, patient and pharmacy are not all in England.
That might well be the case in for ThyroidThora - but adding this note so that other members do not make incorrect assumptions based on your reply alone.
Hi Helvella,
The CCG changed the way the pharmacies in my local area can dispense prescriptions. When I first started getting repeat prescriptions I had to collect a paper script and then take it to a pharmacy to be dispensed. Then my local Superdrug suggested they collect my prescription on my behalf because I was struggling with my cancer treatment and it meant I didn’t have to do everything myself when I could barely walk. This worked well because I only needed to travel once a month to them to collect my medications. Plus, they knew my own personal circumstances and ordered my medications so, they had 6 months in stock because I was the only patient that had to have certain brands due to allergies. Unfortunately, the local CCG changed things so all patients have to put a paper script in at the surgery and the GP surgery then electronically send it to a nominated pharmacy. It’s such a farce because now!
Thanks for caring and taking the time to reply it’s much appreciated.
TTxx.
I have just checked the NHS database which lists medicines, prices, etc., and it is still listed there. (They do change the entries when products are discontinued. However, all changes take time between a company decision to abandon a product and that change appearing in the database.)
It is possible that the distributor Superdrug use no longer lists Eltroxin.
Are you aware that Advanz levothyroxine is exactly the same product as Advanz Eltroxin?
I suggest you contact Advanz and ask them. This is their contacts page:
Please let us know what they say!
It has, I think, always been on the cards that either the Eltroxin branded or the generic product would disappear. (And Eltroxin did disappear for a while a number of years ago.)
helvella - Thyroid Hormone Medicines - UK
The UK document contains:
Up-to-date versions of the Summary Matrixes for levothyroxine tablets, oral solutions and liothyronine available in the UK. These include declared ingredients for all UK-licensed products.
Details of every dosage of each medicine include PL numbers, PIP numbers, tablet markings, product history and links to:
Patient Information Leaflets
Summary of Product Characteristics
Product Assessment Reports
Dictionary of Medicines and Devices (dm+d) entry and current prices
Document has links to:
British National Formulary
NHS Drug Tariff, etc.
PLUS how to write prescriptions in Appendix F.
Also includes links for anti-thyroid medicines (but not product details).
Direct link to PDF:
📄 dropbox.com/s/bo2jzxucgp9hl...
Blog last updated 10/02/2025 - documents are regularly updated
Link to blog:
helvella.blogspot.com/p/hel...
Hi Helvetia,
Thank you for your reply.
Superdrug got the 25mcg but refused give me 3 packets (I take 75mcg) unless I got my Gp to change my prescription. I’ve never had this problem before at my local Superdrug, they would make up the difference or speak to my Gp asking them to resend the prescription. My local Superdrug shut down 18 months ago and so, I changed to the nearest one in Leeds last May after trying various different pharmacies and having difficulties with my other medications. I’ve had endless problems with them for the last 6 months and it’s getting above a joke. I’m going blind and it takes me nearly 2 hours to travel each way to collect my prescription. I’ll definitely contact the manufacturer on Monday to find out what is happening.
Thank you and have a good weekend.
TTxx.
Best of luck getting it sorted.
There have been a number of changes to which products are available. While I totally understand why you would stick to a product that has been working for you, maybe at least look to see what alternatives there are - in case it is not available.
Ironically, just this afternoon I got my prescription repeat changed from "levothyroxine" to Vencamil - which seems to work for me. 
I’m on Eltroxin 50mcg and it is available, I emailed Advanz pharma to check as my chemist kept fobbing me off, I can only take Advanz, mercury pharma,, Eltroxin , all have same ingredients,, made by the same company, I’m on 75mcg a day, 25 come as mercury pharma, 50 as Eltroxin, it’s written in my repeats prescription to only have these due to sensitivity but believe me chemist gave me teva on my last repeats ( I always check before leaving the shop) excuse was oh we thought you need lactose free, Errr it’s written on my repeats and if you can’t get Eltroxin it’s on your system to contact me or Gp to get 25mcg mercury pharma, guess what they could get 50 mcg Eltroxin they just decided to use teva because it was on their stock and easier than clicking a button to order Eltroxin which would come in on the next day. The persons who are supposed to check your prescription definitely hadn’t and they’d signed them off as correct, work that one out??? I did apologise to the young girl serving as it wasn’t her fault, I really should have spoken to the pharmacist who dispensed it, too annoyed at the time it didn’t cross my mind at the time, Sorry about the rant , but it is available 😊
Thank you for your reply.
I thought it would be available because the dispensing assistant said it was discontinued and I challenged her and she backed down. When medication changes my GP surgery contact me to have an appointment and go through my repeat prescription together to find an alternative. I was contacted by my GP surgery last November about my Novorapid insulin. The receptionist at the surgery said my insulin was discontinued, I checked into this before I saw the practice nurse and it transpired that the insulin wasn’t discontinued but there was a problem with the glass insulin pen. The glass barrels were cracking and making them unsafe to inject. These were recalled and an alternative provided. I think Superdrug are just trying to get me to change my prescription to 3x 25mcg to increase their revenue. Thanks for your message and I will go back to them to argue and get my script filled.
Many thanks for your help, and enjoy the rest of the weekend.
TTxx.
A pharmacy is very much expected to dispense the dosages written. Any changes should be referred to the prescriber. However, there has been a few ways in which this type of requirement might have eased a little - depending on the pharmacist and, possibly, where located. But the pharmacy requiring the prescription to be written correctly for the product being dispensed looks like good practice to me. However frustrating it is for us as individuals.
Thanks for your reply.
Unfortunately though, the personal touch has gone and customer service has gone out of the window. I get the impression from Superdrug in Leeds that they don’t want to bother with people needing repeat prescriptions because every time I visit to collect my script someone else is complaining about not getting their meds and that they have been discontinued. I get the impression that they only want to serve the student population with the morning after pill, viagra, thrush products and flu jabs. You become an inconvenience when you hit pensionable age!
Sorry for the rant.
TTxx.
I'm not taking 50mcg, but have had my Eltroxin and other items supplied faultlessly, so far, by mail, by Online-Pharmacy4U, of Mansfield Woodhouse. The postage labels are printed as United Healthcare 4U, and all the "2U" and "4U" pharmacy names can get confusing -- another I tried was Chemist4U, who were equally efficient. LoydsDirect (now part of Pharmacy2U) weren't at all good.
Checking for Online-Pharmacy4U just now, I found their website was unobtainable (I recall that it had a code to provide to one's surgery, which I would've passed on to you). They have a Facebook page, but the way to order prescriptions, at first, at least, appears to be via: healthera.co.uk/app/pharmac...
Thank you very much for your help. I’ll look into the link you have provided and check FB.
Kindest regards,
TTxx.
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