Please can I ask if anyone has experienced difficulties obtaining Accord brand Levothyroxin? I have just received the email below from Well Online saying that Accord has now been replaced with Teva!
The pharmacy team have advised we are unable to obtain the ACCORD brand of Levothyroxine sodium 100microgram tablets. This is because accord brand no longer exists and is now under TEVA brand.
Are you happy to have the GENRIC or TEVA Brand?
If you would prefer me to return the prescription so you can try and obtain your preferred brand from another pharmacy, please let me know.
EDIT - Further communication with Well Online after I specifically said NO TEVA🤬
have queried this with the Pharmacy Team along with your questions and asked them to explain what you have been sent.
They have advised that they have sent Teva brand to you. They advised that Teva now owns Accord, they said that online it may state otherwise but the brand we order has now confirmed that any levothyroxine sent under accord brand is in fact Teva.
They asked me to advise you of this so you are aware that they are now the same in terms of manufacturer.
I could cry 😭
Written by
SpringerMom
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
I have just collected 3 packs of Accord levothyroxine from the pharmacy attached to my GP surgery (I am in the Midlands).
Although I had to make sure that I looked into the pack, as they had given me some other generics again 🙄🤦♀️ even though the prescription said Accord only. They have exchanged it at the counter though, but good job I was on the ball!
I haven't been able to get Accord for over a 2 year now, so take 75mg of Wockhardt(3×25mg) I took Teva years ago & was very ill on them with many original symptoms returning. Hope you get sorted😊
I have found that I can take any brand except Teva, so if Accord are in short supply, try another brand...obviously not Teva. Goodness knows what ingredients are in Teva, but they are no use to me at all.
Hi yes. I went to collect my Levo yesterday and the pharmacy said they didn’t have accord, or Northstar (first time in 5 years) I got the prescription back and took it to another pharmacy who also didn’t have it. They did however say they could order it for me so hopefully it will arrive there today…
I am interested to hear you were collecting 3 packs… if you don’t mind me asking, is that 3 months supply? I asked my Gp to do this via their messaging service twice. First time said it was against the rules and second time didn’t even receive a reply.
Yes, I can collect 3 x 28 tablets in one go (3 month's supply), luckily I always have been able to. I can understand that they do not want to give out lots of tablets when you are still titrating up the dose (and you have to test regularly as well), but once you are on your maintenance dose, they are allowed to prescribe up to 3 months worth of medication. They usually prescribe 3 months worth of blood pressure medication or diabetes medication as well, so I do not see the point in restricting thyroid medication. It's not like we would get high on it?! 😂
And interestingly, I have just been given 6 packs of oestrogel, which will last me probably 8 months or more, so if there is a will .... 🤷♀️
I found an interesting document issued by the British Medical Association, further down it discusses prescription intervals:
Doctors should provide prescriptions for intervals that they feel are clinically appropriate. This should take into account:
- possible reactions
- the stability of the treatment
- patient compliance
- necessary monitoring.
Sometimes a doctor may give six or even twelve months supply on one prescription as this is cost-effective and convenient for patients.
We have also received requests for GPs to consider shorter duration prescribing (28-day prescriptions).
Prescribing intervals can place significant workload on doctors and surgery staff, and should be in line with patients’ medical needs. Pharmacy requests to issue a seven-day prescription should be discouraged.
So if you are on a dose of your thyroid medication that will not likely change in the foreseeable future, you could argue that a longer prescription interval would save them money and resources, in addition to alleviating the stress of having to request your long-term medication each month.
At my previous GP surgery, before we moved area, I use to get a whole year on prescription sent electronically to pharmacy of my choice. I had been on same brand and dose Levo and T3 for at least 3 by then
I then went every 2 months to pharmacy just pick up levothyroxine and T3
I am now back to ordering new prescription every 2 months at new GP surgery. I get it sent electronically to Springfield pharmacy as no local pharmacies here would supply Vencamil Levo or Teva T3 despite both being named as only brand to supply on my prescription
Yes, trying to get the brand you can tolerate can be a real problem, when in fact it should not be. If they would fulfil the prescriptions as directed, not only will it reduce the anxiety for the patient as well as the constant hassle, it would significantly reduce their time as well, as they don't have to correct their mistakes!
Well, common sense or logic are in short supply these days ... and sadly not only in healthcare! 🙄🤦♀️😅
I cannot take Teva - so was advised to get my prescription from Boots as they don’t issue them. Current packets say Almus - which if you check the pack the licence holder is Accord. I think Teva must be cheaper for pharmacies so the smaller ones just push it on people, though there is quite a long history online of problems with Teva thyro. not right dose etc
to find details of uk brands/ manufacturers/ ingredients etc of levo ~ see helvella 's post, follow link to find where he's put them together : healthunlocked.com/thyroidu... /helvella-thyroid-hormone-medicines-uk
Look at box to see who the PL company is - that tells you who the licence holder is. So the product would have to be produced to that licence! So any with PL as Accord would have to be being manufactured to the Accord ‘recipe’ lol
I must admit I was offered Teva and my blood pressure short up. I guess there must be an ingredient in it that I am allergic to. After two days I gave up and requested ti my old prescription. So I am so glad to hear there are other people who couldn’t have teva. See your doctor and request for the brand you feel good in.
My prescription states under no circumstances to be given Teva (or their subsidiary’s) and brands must not be mixed. I get my script from Boots and they have never mixed. The different brands can all have slightly different make up - and NHS prescribing instructions do state they shouldn’t be mixed whenever possible.
I've collected levothyroxine for someone and was recently given Accord (they can only take Teva). They're usually really good at getting different brands.
I went to collect 2 months of 100mcg levothyroxine and have had no problems in accessing Accord for simply ages and it suits me. At my last visit to the pharmacy I was actually given two different brands- Mercury and Crescent- but did not check before leaving the pharmacy. I have never seen Crescent before. When I returned to the pharmacy to ask about my usual Accord brand the pharmacist was pretty unpleasant, did not give me any information about Accord unavailability and would not even agree to give me two boxes of the same brand in future!
As my dose has been reduced over the last 12 months after considerable weight loss I too am even more anxious not to take any brand that does not suit me, just like everyone else. Many thanks for other members posting what they have learnt about different brands and I am going to have to consider changing my pharmacy I think.
no, I am not happy with Teva, I got Hillcross, which is owned by Accord. No idea why they keep changing the name:Actavis, then Almus etc.. but they are all made by Accord. I could not get my usual brand either, but just check that whatever you get us made by Accord
if you are having problems getting GP or pharmacy to prescribe/isssue a brand you can take point them to the NHS Prescring Guidelines on Thyroxine. It’s very clear what they can/cannot do!
Teva brands contain Mannitol as a ‘filler’ - which can cause all sorts of problems if you are intolerant /allergic to it.
If you need the low dose 25mcg tablets then you need to ask for higher dose ones and either break them down or take alternate days - you would only get Teva at that dosage😩
For me - it was like being ‘hyper’ thyroid - headaches, sweats, shakes, couldn’t sleep, etc. just felt terrible - but my tests were coming back as at usual level. Only thing I didn’t get was loss of weight ☹️. When I checked there have been loads of problems with Teva - both here and in France. Withvoroduct being withdrawn a few times which is not a good sign! My GP was really good and since having script clearly state mustn’t have that brand or mixed brands then returned to normal. But where I had previously used an independent pharmacy I had to change to Boots. Independents will try and keep costs down - so provide cheapest options.
I found that my hypo symptoms increased after a while. It may be just coincidence but after changing to a consistent supply of Accord, I felt much better.
Got my Accord 100 levothyroxine last week had few issues with 25mcg Wockhardt one which is my usual… I have been given Mercury and Crescent replacements but both I seem fine with at moment.
I had problems a couple of months ago. When Well sent Teva my GP reissued the prescription and low and behold, I managed to get Accord but in a plain white box and no PIL.
I prefer that brand too. I get my prescription from Boots. They supply me with Almus which, as others have said, is Accord.
I also need 12.5mcg along with my 100’s and I asked my GP to prescribe 50mcg tablets so that I can break them into 1/4s instead of having Teva 25mcg (and halving).
I do the same. Get mine from Boots and persuaded the GP to change my prescription to include more 50mcg to cut in half for my 25mcg dose. I found that Mercury Pharma that I was getting as 25mcg just felt like I wasn't taking anything and my hair was falling out again.
yes, I have had difficulties for months now. They always try to order but don’t seem to be able to get. I was told if collect & it is the wrong brand I need to get a new prescription & even if I return they have to dispose of the returned brand. My GP provides 3 month prescriptions but I have no thyroid following thyroid cancer so not sure whether that makes a difference. Good look with finding something suitable. I tend to be given Hillcross now.
I have also had trouble getting accord for the last two months. The chemist says he can’t get it. He then gave me two different brands ( I have to take 125 and 100 on alternate days so I get 150 and cut the 50 in two) . I told him that the consultant said that I must have the same brand but he said that any consultant would find it hard to do that so I just had to take what I was given. Next time it might be two entirely different brands!! I’m going to ring up first before I have it sent there or get the prescription and ring around chemists to see if I can get what I need anywhere! Very frustrating when the consultant tells you one thing and then the chemist says he can’t do it !
Early yesterday morning I get an email telling me they had received my prescription, yesterday afternoon another email telling me that my doctor hadn’t responded so they had sent a reminder, then to cap it all last night I was told that their pharmacy dept had informed them that they are unable to obtain Accord.
Would I like Teva, a Generic or my prescription back? I told them to send it back to me.
So I just want to check something please? Am I right in thinking that Almus from Boots would be the same as Accord, or am I muddling the name up?
Thanks so much.
Edit: I’m sorry, I have just noticed another post further back that answers my question.
OK. so my prescription is now back on the NHS database and I’ve received the code to collect it anywhere thankfully.
I think your pharmacy team has given you the wrong information regarding Accord!
I had a quick search and I came across the Accord website, where Levothyroxine tablets are still listed as 'status active' and the SmPC has been updated in Feb last year.
I believe Teva sold their Actavis generics to Accord Healthcare in 2017 to get competition clearance for their Allergan acquisition. So they have not acquired Accord, they have divested some of their business to Accord and certainly don't own them!😂
I just collected an Accord levothyroxine 100mcg prescription from my pharmacy last week, so Accord products are still in circulation!
I think they just try to fob patients off and can't be bothered.
If it is an online pharmacy, I wouldn't hold my breath as many of them have switched their business to an AI system that reads their prescriptions to pick them. However, they are not trained to distinguish between brand names, so if there is levothyroxine on the script, they just pick any old generic from their pile for shipment.
I have been with an online pharmacy as well for a while, but had to revert back to collecting my prescription at the pharmacy counter again, as only this way I can open the pack before I accept it and ensure that I get Accord. Its like stepping back in time again.....🙄
Thank you Tina_Maria. At least I know I’m not quite bonkers…yet🤣. I’m not going to let it rest and have reported under Yellow Card. I have also emailed Accord for clarification.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Change of levothyroxine brand 
Any idea how to get same brand of Levo?
Standoff Between GP & Pharmacist
Change in Brand of levothyroxine
Accord Supply Issues 
