Re: Value Pharmaceuticals Regulation Change

[Guest guest]

Have they ever spelt out what the regulation change *is*? Announced by whom?

It's rather odd that this is the only company so far to mention it.

[Guest guest]

I emailed Value Pharmaceuticals, with the question 'Please could you tell me

what these regulations are and who has issued them?'

Their rather terse answer is 'The regulations are from our suppliers.'

I'll ask them to clarify whether they mean Erfa, or a distributing company. I

also tried to call the MHRA, but it was after office hours - I'll try again

tomorrow. However, after digging around their site and several others concerning

UK pharmaceutical regulation, I haven't seen any mention of a UK regulation

change. Which is encouraging. Maybe Erfa have been in some sort of legal trouble

and are trying to protect themselves?

Still rather disastrous for those who have found Erfa to be the one that suits

them; those of us not yet started will never find out! (Unless we can obtain

prescriptions, which seems unlikely for me at the moment.)

>

> Nope - they avoided that like the plague. Such a shame. I know of nowhere

> else that you can get Erfa without a prescription, or any other reputable

> pharmacy that is selling it, which makes me think this is Erfa's policy.

>

> Luv - Sheila

[Guest guest]

Hi Helen, if you phone MHRA would you be drawing MRHA attention to value

pharmaceuticals, which may not be such a good idea.

I know, I am becoming such a conspiracy theorist aaarrrggghhhh

F

> >

> > Nope - they avoided that like the plague. Such a shame. I know of nowhere

> > else that you can get Erfa without a prescription, or any other reputable

> > pharmacy that is selling it, which makes me think this is Erfa's policy.

> >

> > Luv - Sheila

>

[Guest guest]

Hi . I wouldn't worry, from the conversation I had with the chap at the

MHRA, there is no legal impediment to privately importing thyroid medication. I

didn't mention V.P. by name, anyway. But it seems that there is no legal grey

area here - UK law is not being flouted. I would like to know if NDT is classed

at POM (prescription only medicine), P (available from pharmacists only) or GSL

(General Sales List), haven't been able to find that one out yet.

Anyway, see my new post - the 'new regulations' are only at the compounding

pharmacy that provides Erfa to V.P, nothing to do with UK regulations.

x Helen

>

> Hi Helen, if you phone MHRA would you be drawing MRHA attention to value

pharmaceuticals, which may not be such a good idea.

>

> I know, I am becoming such a conspiracy theorist aaarrrggghhhh

>

>

> F

[Guest guest]

V.P. have told me that it's their compounding pharmacy who have changed their

regulations. There is no sign of any change in UK legal regulations - I spoke to

the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency this morning, and they

haven't heard of any such change.

So, thank goodness, doesn't look as though it will affect any other brands, but

a bit of a blow for anyone who wants Erfa and can't get a prescription for it.

I wonder if there's any point in writing to the compounding pharmacy and

discussing the situation? Erfa may have fallen foul of a blanket regulation that

the compounding pharmacy have introduced to protect themselves, but if there's

no legal reason for them not to provide Erfa to V.P, then perhaps they can be

leaned on?

(I posted this as a new thread, not sure why, but then it was very early in the

morning by my standards - posting again here!)

[Guest guest]

Thanks Sheila, have just downloaded those. I'd still be curious to find out how

NDT is categorised in the PMO/P/GSL system, just out of curiosity. Useful to

have these facts at hand when the doctor spouts rubbish...

It would also be nice to know of some other commonly used but unlicensed

medications. (Calamine lotion? Kaolin and morphine? I have no idea...) So that

when a doctor uses 'not licensed' as an excuse, I can say 'well neither are X,

Y, and Z'...

x Helen

>

> Helen, see the attached. There is a long letter from the MHRA from way back

> in 2004 who wrote to me setting out the details about doctors being able to

> prescribe natural thyroid extract (Armour thyroid)