Deboss marks on Mercury Pharma Group 20mcg T3/liothyronine tablets?

[Hansaplatz]

I got a new prescription from GP for my T3 5mcg x 2 dose as increased by my endo, but annoyingly the GP's wrote 20mcg, quartered, twice a day so I've ended up with 20mcg tablets for most of my prescription - they'd only give me enough 5mcg tablets to tide me over til the special order for the 20mcg ones came in.

So these ones, being less than 28 tablets in the end, come in a bottle without a Patient Information Leaflet and it's probably unnecessary but I do like to check when they are like that that they are what they say by looking up the deboss mark on the tablet - it reads 65 058.

However, I can't find this info out. I think they must be Mercury Pharma Group's 20mcg liothyronine, as both Paddock and Cytomel's come in 25mcg instead. I read the Mercury Pharma group PIL for the 20mcg but unless I'm missing it completely it doesn't mention anything more than that they are tablets. Does anyone else have these tablets and can confirm what the deboss should say for them?

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

They are blighters to read. I *think* I agree having looked at an old Goldshield one. (After all, they only changed the company name so no obvious reason for debossing to change.)

If I were you, I would put in a question/complaint to Mercury Pharma, copying to MHRA. I looked at both the PIL and the SPC on:

medicines.org.uk/EMC/

And I can't see any description of the tablets at all on either. The standard identification service now seems to be TICTAC - but that is inaccessible for mere mortals.

Rod

[Hansaplatz in reply to helvella]

Thanks for replying Rod, between you and the other reply I think I can be fairly confident they are the right tablets. Although I'm having a much worse day than usual, so wondering if their formulation disagrees with me - I've had paddock 5mcg in the past, as well as my preferred 5mcg Cytomel. I don't think the GP's have much thought over how changing brands isn't necessarily a good idea.

Looking at the very end of the PIL all it said was "What Liothyronine Sodium Tablets look like and contents of the pack: Liothyronine Sodium Tablets are supplied in container packs of 28 tablets" Hardly comprehensive for identification purposes, especially since for me they weren't in a container pack.

Do you know if it's a requirement for Mercury Pharma to state the deboss in the PIL? Either way, you are right, I should make an enquiry/complaint and see if they will add the info.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Hansaplatz]

I suspect that the PIL and SPC are actually ancient and a brand new one would be better quality-controlled.

Certainly, I'd like to think that visual identification is an important feature. If you see a tablet and need to identify it, it can be a very useful double-check. E.g. you put a tablet in a pill-case for carrying with you, then you have second thoughts about whether you got it from the right pot.

[lisabax]

My Goldshield 20mcg tabs also have 65 058 on them. L

[Hansaplatz in reply to lisabax]

Thanks for replying, makes me feel better to know they're right.

[nobodysdriving in reply to Hansaplatz]

yes I have the Mercury Pharma T3 20mcg (they are no longer called Goldshield since a year ago by the way) and they have 65 058 on one side, and just 'scored' in half on the other.

Rod is right, they are a NIGHTMARE to read/decipher LOL

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to nobodysdriving]

Even worse, we all got it wrong!

It is "GS 058"!

drugs.webmd.boots.com/drugs...

Or, if that does not work:

tinyurl.com/btnmcpd