Purified T4 from Martindales

[Moggie]

Hi all,

Can anyone tell me how much is would cost - on a private script - for a months supply (or 100)100mcg's tablets of purified T4 from Martindales.

Am going to try and get my GP to prescribe them for me but if she doesn't I am willing to buy the first lot myself and then ask my endo. Trying to get either my GP or the endo to believe that it could be the T4 thats causing all my problems is like pulling hens teeth.

Moggie x

[RedApple Administrator]

Short answer... very expensive! I've not heard of anyone paying for these privately. Maybe try contacting Martindales themselves. Contact details here

martindalepharma.co.uk/cont...

If they won't discuss price with you directly, I'd try asking someone like Pharmarama

Their contact details are on this page

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/treatm...

[Moggie in reply to RedApple]

Thanks for the info - will give it a go.

I have been told that it is £110 for 100 x 100mcg's - so would this be the price to the NHS and would you know if it would differ on a private script

Moggie x

[RedApple Administrator in reply to Moggie]

Yes, that sounds like the NHS price. On private script, it will be up to the pharmacy that fulfil the script. They would need to have an account with Martindales, and can pretty much charge you whatever they like really.

[Moggie in reply to RedApple]

Hi Red Apple,

Just tried both avenue's that you suggested and Martindales wont talk to me and Pharmarama dont do purified T4 so I'm stumped.

Moggie x

[RedApple Administrator in reply to Moggie]

First step then is to find a pharmacy who deal with Martindales. Perhaps start with a big chain like Boots?

[Moggie in reply to RedApple]

Thanks Red Apple - I'll let you know how I get on.

Moggie x

[bertiesmum in reply to Moggie]

I was given a private prescription (not thyroid) and was amazed to pay just £2.50 for it at an Adsa pharmacy.

[RedApple Administrator in reply to bertiesmum]

The issue here is not so much the private prescription as the medication itself which has to be made up specially. 'Specials' medications are very expensive!

[Moggie in reply to bertiesmum]

Thanks bertiesmum,

I have taken Red Apples advice and phoned Boots. They are now phoning Martindales and will be back to me with a price. Think I might need to be sitting down for it though as I have a feeling it will be mega expensive. Did make the point of telling him that I knew how much the NHS get if for - you never know it might make a difference.

Moggie x

[bertiesmum in reply to Moggie]

I was told by a retired nurse that she was buying her thyroid meds on biannual trips to Gran Canary. She claimed these were far superior to the free NHS meds. I am new to all of this and just take what I am given!

[Moggie in reply to bertiesmum]

I have heard this before - a doctor in a similar location told an English patient that "she wouldn't give that rubbish (our T4) to a patient of hers".

Gives you a lot of faith, and makes you wonder about, our NHS and their suppliers doesn't it.

Moggie x

[helvella Administrator]

Managed to find:

The pharmacist warned me to give him notice to order them in as they are £400 for 30 tablets !! EEEK !

and

I don't understand where your Pharmacist gets that cost figure from as I take purified levothyroxine from Martindale's and for 200mcgs per day they cost around £75 per month.

Can be quite amusing trying to work out why people are seeing and reporting such huge differences in cost.

Rod

[Moggie in reply to helvella]

Thats daylight robbery Rod - or making mega bucks out of people who are ill and cant afford it.

Will be interesting to see what Boots come back with but if thats the case then the only way I can go it through my GP.

Thanks for your time and efforts.

Moggie x

[Kangagirl in reply to Moggie]

Martindale's wouldn't discuss price with me, but told me to try somewhere like Lloyds, who apprently have an account with them and would tell me the price.

Boots claimed to know nothing about either the medication or Martindales, (but that's local to me, where you can't get anything you need or any useful information from anywhere about anything - from B&Q right through to GPs, it's useless). Hopefully elsewhere it will be better, or at least more informative. I didn't follow it up because my GP will not countenance anything expensive.

Not much help, but maybe an idea to try smaller pharmacies for a price.

Kanga xx

[Moggie in reply to Kangagirl]

Thanks for the reply - I'm still waiting for Boots to get back to me - if I dont hear anything today I'll try Llyods.

Moggie x