Re: Re: Cost of Meds to NHS

[Guest guest]

I cannot understand why they should be charging people that amount with an NHS prescription. If people are hypothyroid and have an NHS prescription it is free.

They can charge what they like for a private prescription, which does not necessarily reflect that actual cost of the product. They can add as much profit as they like on a private prescription.

Lilian

http://www.chemistdirect.co.uk/liothyronine-sodium-tablet-20mcg_4_15116.html No wonder my Endo has been reluctant to try me on this and leave me on Levothyroxine which was doing little more than suppress my TSH and giving false blood results !Neil

[Guest guest]

Is there a possibility - she asks cynically - that the NHS are

buying the T3 from the most expensive source available in an attempt to use

this argument to stop T3 from being prescribed at all - as doctors and

pharmacists are looking to save as much money as possible. We know there are

sources available where you can buy T3 relatively cheaply, but I don't know the

ins and outs of NHS prescription medicines. Can anybody throw any light on this

please. Do pharmacies HAVE to purchase certain drugs from particular

manufacturers or can they buy from where they want?

Luv - Sheila

That is crazy - Well that sort of proves why

they are so reluctant to prescribe them even though many people are

struggling!!

What is it to the Chemist what they cost - she's getting paid by the NHS so why

would she be worried. I have no doubt that our local chemist would supply them

- if you like I can ask & if you fax the script to him I can post them to

you. At least try another chemist - what about Boots?

Can't believe it's such a battle for people to get treatment - maybe someone on

this site would like to change jobs & train as an Endocrinologist &

change the tide :-)

Take care,

Dorothy

[Guest guest]

This happened to me with Armour Thyroid. We had a new pharmacy

open in the village and I gave them my prescription for Armour, it took an

absolute age and still the chemist did not get it in, so one day, went

in and collected the prescription and said he would get it filled elsewhere. A

week later, that pharmacist came to my house with a letter telling me the

Armour had arrived and he needed the prescription for it. I told him we had

gone elsewhere because I had run out of tablets and couldn't wait any longer.

He then told me that he had to pay over £130 for them. I couldn't believe it

and wrote him a letter to tell him the actual cost to the NHS of prescribing

Armour because I had got that information from the Department of Health Prescription

Drugs Department when I was writing my rebuttal to the British Thyroid Associations'

Statement on Armour Thyroid versus thyroxine only treatment. I never did get to

the bottom of that, but I never went back to this new pharmacy in the village,

and only recently, it closed down because of a lack of business - say no more!

Luv - Sheila

From: thyroid treatment

[mailto:thyroid treatment ] On Behalf Of Galathea

Sent: 12 March 2011 10:17

thyroid treatment

Subject: Re: Cost of Meds to NHS

Lilian,

I do get them free, but the NHS are being charged a stupid amount for them.

This is why more of us cannot get them without a real fight.

>

> I cannot understand why they should be charging people that amount with an

NHS prescription. If people are hypothyroid and have an NHS prescription it is

free.

>

> They can charge what they like for a private prescription, which does not

necessarily reflect that actual cost of the product. They can add as much

profit as they like on a private prescription.

>

> Lilian

> http://www.chemistdirect.co.uk/liothyronine-sodium-tablet-20mcg_4_15116.html

>

> No wonder my Endo has been reluctant to try me on this and leave me on

Levothyroxine which was doing little more than suppress my TSH and giving false

blood results !

>

> Neil

>

[Guest guest]

This is the information I got

from Simon son (2007), Head of Medicines, Pharmacy & Industry

Business Unit, Department of Health (July 2007) when he sent me  a breakdown of

the actual cost of the different dose tablets of Armour®. The average cost per

unit of the differing strengths of Armour® Thyroid dispensed in primary care

over the course of the year April 2006 to March 2007 is outlined in the table

below. A pharmacist stated the average cost of all prescriptions per patient,

per calendar month is £20.00. The cost of Armour (apart from the 240mg tablet),

is far below this.

Strength                                   Est.

unit cost in pence: Est.

cost for one month supply

Armour® Thyroid 240mg                        79                                             £22.12

Armour® Thyroid 180mg                        46

                                            £12.88

Armour® Thyroid 120mg                        43

                                            £12.04

Armour® Thyroid 90mg                          34

                                             £9.52

Armour® Thyroid 60mg                         31

                                             £8.68

Armour® Thyroid 30mg                          27

                                             £7.56

Armour® Thyroid 15mg                          19

                                             £5.32

NB. Levothyroxine sodium 150

mcgs costs £1.52 per 28 days supply and is equivalent to about 120mg Armour®

Thyroid costing £12.04 per calendar month.

See also http://f1.grp.fs.com/v1/YHx7TQzoXepvT8BaZJhoS9AKimb2_tPbJXNgM-XJb9ZcT3MACYePzqZnWw8RlEGPTlTJKX8LRFco-H0o_lhyAg/NHS%20TREATMENT/Drug%20Tariff%20online.doc which is in our FILES section.

You can also

check out this information about how many prescriptions were given in the year 2007

(I think) http://f1.grp.fs.com/v1/cIp7TU2luW-GZUpoaRWBrYJ_YgqBcQUW51mkSSUWctEXKTMUxqFVk0N7Cw3jg0T5JOHF8NjvBb6byNhZPZyV0Q/NHS%20prescriptions%20Levo%20-%20Armour.doc

and the cost to the NHS.

Luv - Sheila

I have no way of knowing about costs of Armour to the NHS because prescribing

un-licensed meds isn't something that my GP would do.

Fiona.

[Guest guest]

Hi ,Cynomel 25mcg packets of 30 in France are 2.87€ and Euthyral (100mcg Levo + 20mcg T3) are 3.21€ for 30. Might it be worth trying the Pharmacy Rousseax in Brussels Belgium as they will post to France so maybe to England as well. They have some English speakers. Prescription is required.IanFrom: Galathea <galathea@...>To:

thyroid treatment Sent: Sat, 12 March, 2011 10:57:46Subject: Re: Cost of Meds to NHS

Hi Neil,

Yep, the link you sent is £2.15 PER TABLET... so slightly more expensive than the £107 my chemist is being charged for 56 tablets....

Why is the NHS only allowed to supply one brand? Why can't then buy in from abroad?

>

> Hi

>

> I was shocked reading your message as to how much this costs and after searching online I found this:

>

> http://www.chemistdirect.co.uk/liothyronine-sodium-tablet-20mcg_4_15116.html

>

[Guest guest]

Then they would be better buying direct from www.valuepharmaceuticals.com as

that is much cheaper than www.internationalpharmacy.com

Glynis. However, the only problem they would have with this is the possibility

of being randomly selected for Customs Charges and Post Office Handling Fees.

Luv - Sheila

When I went to Boots on one occasion, they

asked me how I managed over christmas when they couldn't get any Armour from

their suppliers, I told her that my sister had bought some Erfa from an

internet pharmacie (Int. Pharmacy, I think) she wanted a link to it as they can

buy from any reputable source.

She wrote down the name and said she'd contact them!!

Glynis

[Guest guest]

This government, or any other previous government don't want to

know the facts. My letter about saving money which I sent to my MP was

completely ignored by all.

Luv - Sheila

Hi all -I don't think cost has anything to do with reluctance to perscribe T3 .

It would however help if it did not cost so much. Am I correct in thinking

there is only one source in the UK and no competition . It is out of patent and

anyway the patent as far as I know was in the US {CYTOMEL] -so why the

rediculous price and what about competition . Why also this small dose of 20

and not 25 as elsewhere. If this Government really wants to cut the cost of

drugs to he NHs it really needs to question what is going on . .

[Guest guest]

Write a letter to your GP telling him about the pesticide

exposure and how it has left you unable to regain your normal health with the

synthetic, mainly inactive levothyroxine-only medication and that you need T3.

Tell him that T3 is needed by every cell in the body and brain to make them

function. Tell him that you are being left to self prescribe, self treat and

self monitor by the NHS and this is not right, and that T3 is a safe and

effective thyroid hormone replacement prescribed by many doctors throughout the

world and that is in the British National Formulary as a treatment for those

who do not do well on thyroxine-only. Ask him in the letter if he will please

prescribe your liothyronine (and the dose you are taking) and if he refuses,

will he please have the courtesy to tell you, in writing, exactly what the

reason is why he refuses to do so and ask him to back whatever reasons he gives

citing the scientific evidence required.

If he refuses again, then this matter needs reporting Gillian.

Luv - Sheila

Hi , im taking T3 only and buy these from mymexicandrugstore

These are 25mg in 100s i buy six for approx £80 . I have been taking these for

nearly 2 years as i could no longer tollerate Thyroxine after a pesticide

exposure . Having a battle with GP to prescribe , he flatly refuses and wont

give a reason , I have recently seen Endo at Walton who says i must come off T3

and go back on Thyroxine ??? I have rang the hospital to tell them how ill i am

after taking thyroxine for 2 weeks ( white lie ) and await a reply for advice

what to do ( may take forever ) Grrrrrrrrrrrrr