Re: Erfa regulation change, Value Pharmaceuticals

[Guest guest]

I agree it is worth getting to the bottom of this as it may turn out to be an

unnecessary requirement to have a prescription after all. Could someone who has

contact details for the compounding pharmacy pursue it on our behalf please?

Miriam

> 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

they 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?

>

[Guest guest]

I don't know if Erfa 'don't want to' sell their product via Value

Pharmaceuticals, but the compounding pharmacy is now demanding prescriptions. I

don't know if Erfa even is an actual company, or just a name for a formulation

that is made up by the pharmacy.

I don't suppose anyone will have the pharmacy's contact details, but if they do,

then please do indeed write to them and pass on the details to us so that we can

do the same! Is there anything on the packaging that tells us who/where they

are?

I have written to VP to ask for contact details of the compounding pharmacy, but

I won't be surprised if they won't reveal it. They don't reveal where they are

physically based themselves, for a start - Vanuatu is just where they are

registered (for dodgy legal/tax purposes) and I think the company is actually in

Canada, in which case the pharmacy probably is too. Which is all we guess about

location, so far...

It would certainly be interesting to know on what basis the pharmacy has brought

in this rule. There doesn't seem to be any UK legal block on us obtaining

prescription medicines from elsewhere and having them delivered here - otherwise

presumably they'd be impounded by customs. The legal situation at the suppliers

end, I don't know; it may be a very grey area and this pharmacy is looking to

protect itself. Either way, I'd like to find out.

> if a company

> does not want to sell their products to certain people there are not bound

> to.

[Guest guest]

ERFA stands for : Entreprises de Recherche, de Fabrication et d’Analyse

ERFA was created in 1935 by Philippe Herman and produced artisan products.

Roussel Uclaf acquired ERFA in 1968 and invested heavily in its Belgium production site. ERFA's production capacities covered a large range of galenic forms including tablets, liquids, creams, capsules, and suppositories.

Following two mergers and Hoechst n Roussel's reorganisation, ERFA became an independent production facility controlled by ASSOCIATED BOOSTERS and then co-founded the EuroSourcing Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Network. In 1998, ERFA Canada was created as a gate to the North-American market. Today ERFA Canada is offering a wide range of products and services, including: pharmaceuticals, medical devices, biotech research antibodies and test kits, derma cosmetics, phytomedicals, e-business and web hosting services.

At present, ERFA continues contract manufacturing for Aventis Pharma and has secured both toll manufacturing and supply chain management contracts with a variety of clients, including :

Erfa Thyroid is made in Belgium; it is sold mainly out of Canada. \

Fibrojay

[Guest guest]

Thanks FJ, that's useful info.

I asked VP to give me contact details for their compounding pharmacy. They had

said that it was a change of regulations at their compounding pharmacy that was

preventing them from continuing to sell Erfa without prescription. But this

time, they said:

'The regulation change at our end is irreversible and if our supplier does not

comply then the Value Pharmaceuticals business will not be able to function

Any approach you made in respect of the regulation change would not alter the

situation. ... We regret that we cannot be of further assistance.'

I've only just figured it out - I think: they can't give us the address of their

compounding pharmacy without revealing where they are, which they can't do,

because it isn't Vanuatu (where they are registered). That's why there is no

clue anywhere on their website or in any of their addresses as to where they

actually are. All very dodgy, and no doubt they avoid paying taxes, the rascals,

but in the interest of cheap drugs, I'd better let it drop there.

Maybe since that means their legal position is wobbly enough already, they've

decided to close the door on prescription-medicines-without-prescriptions. for

their own self-protection. Maybe they already have some legal trouble, hence the

sudden decision?

>

> ERFA stands for :

> Entreprises de Recherche, de Fabrication et d’Analyse

>