Re: MHRA investigates thryoid treatment

[Guest guest]

Thursday 16 February 2012

Time:

16:15

Subject:

MHRA suspends licence for Teva levothyroxine 100 microgram tablets

Contact:

Press Office 020 3080 7651 or press.office@... Out-of-hours 07770 446 189

Press release: MHRA suspends licence for Teva levothyroxine 100 microgram tablets

http://www.mhra.gov.uk/NewsCentre/Pressreleases/CON143688

http://www.mhra.gov.uk/home/groups/comms-po/documents/news/con143689.pdf

Bob

>> http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5jL1aAQO7bwokYZy1q-1DTc-8th6w?docId=N0571161329412345519A> > At the bottom of the article it says> Copyright � 2012 The Press Association. All rights reserved> so I am not sure whether I can copy the whole article here. > Only levothyroxine 100mcg tablets supplied under the Teva and Numark brands are affected. > > Lilian>

[Guest guest]

and also:-

1. The MHRA and its independent advisory body the CHM (Commission on Human Medicines) considered all available data including: the reported defects; information relating to the manufacturing process; and the results of studies conducted by the MHRA’s Medicines Testing Laboratory. CHM concluded that these data raised uncertainty as to whether Teva’s product was interchangeable with other levothyroxine products.

2. The suspension will remain in place until Teva has completed its investigation and resolved the underlying issues.

3. The MHRA is the government agency responsible for ensuring that medicines and medical devices work, and are acceptably safe. No product is risk-free. Underpinning all our work lie robust and fact-based judgements to ensure that the benefits to patients and the public justify the risks. We keep watch over medicines and devices, and take any necessary action to protect the public promptly if there is a problem. We encourage everyone â€" the public and healthcare professionals as well as the industry â€" to tell us about any problems with a medicine or medical device, so that we can investigate and take any necessary action. www.mhra.gov.uk

>> http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5jL1aAQO7bwokYZy1q-1DTc-8th6w?docId=N0571161329412345519A> > At the bottom of the article it says> Copyright � 2012 The Press Association. All rights reserved> so I am not sure whether I can copy the whole article here. > Only levothyroxine 100mcg tablets supplied under the Teva and Numark brands are affected. > > Lilian>

[Guest guest]

So the next time someone says that Extract is no good because of

quality issues, one can equally say that there has been a recent

quality issue with a T4 pill made in the UK which necessitated an

official government suspension from the market.

[Guest guest]

If our members don't have an account with Google, they won't be

able to sign in Lilian, so I am posting the whole of the article here as

this is important.

Luv - Sheila

MHRA investigates thyroid treatment

(UKPA)

– 1 day ago

An

underactive thyroid treatment is being investigated over fears it could make

patients ill when they switch between products.

The

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has suspended the

licence for levothyroxine 100mcg tablets manufactured by Teva for patients with

hypothyroidism.

Levothyroxine

is a generic medicine, meaning patients sometimes take different brands of the

drug with no ill effects.

But

the MHRA said concerns had been raised that the Teva product may not be

interchangeable with other levothyroxine 100mcg tablets following reports of

" loss of control " of the condition and worries about problems with

manufacturing, a statement said.

Only

levothyroxine 100mcg tablets supplied under the Teva and Numark brands are

affected. The MHRA said alternative products are available and most patients

are unlikely to notice any change if they move to another brand.

Teva

tablets will stop being available in the UK within the next few weeks as stocks

dry up.

" As

a precautionary measure, whilst investigations are ongoing, Teva has

voluntarily ceased manufacture and distribution, " the MHRA said.

No

further supplies of the tablets should be released for marketing until these

issues are resolved, it added.

" If

patients feel unwell taking the Teva levothyroxine tablets they should report

them to their healthcare professional because adjustments to the dose of

levothyroxine may be required. "

Those

who could need close monitoring by their GP include pregnant women, people with

heart disease and patients taking levothyroxine following treatment for thyroid

cancer.

Copyright

© 2012 The Press Association. All rights reserved.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5jL1aAQO7bwokYZy1q-1DTc-8th6w?docId=N0571161329412345519A

[Guest guest]

They also had lots of recalls of US made Levothyroxine/Synthroid etc some time

ago.

Bob

>

> So the next time someone says that Extract is no good because of quality

> issues, one can equally say that there has been a recent quality issue

> with a T4 pill made in the UK which necessitated an official government

> suspension from the market.

>

[Guest guest]

Oh, great. I just checked my Levo pills and the 100 mcg are in fact made by

Teva! I wonder if the chemist would exchange them? Probably not.

C.

>

[snip]

>

> MHRA investigates thyroid treatment

>

> The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has suspended

> the licence for levothyroxine 100mcg tablets manufactured by Teva for

> patients with hypothyroidism.

>

[Guest guest]

Yes he should. If he checks with the MHRA he will see that he

has to. Next time you get a prescription from your GP, ask for the Eltroxin

Brand. He will have to write Eltroxin on your prescription rather than just

levothyroxine. If a doctor writes Levothyroxine, then the pharmacist will give

you whatever brand he happens to have - and these are not always the best. This

goes for everybody who is taking thyroxine - the BRAND matters. Eltroxin is

best.

Luv - Sheila

Oh, great. I just checked my Levo pills and the

100 mcg are in fact made by Teva! I wonder if the chemist would exchange them?

Probably not.

C.

[Guest guest]

>> Yes he should. If he checks with the MHRA he will see that he has to. Next> time you get a prescription from your GP, ask for the Eltroxin Brand. ... [snip]> Eltroxin is best.Thanks, Sheila - I think I'm going to print off the article provided here as proof and see what happens. And I'll ask for Eltroxin next time I need a new prescription. xC.> Oh, great. I just checked my Levo pills and the 100 mcg are in fact made by> Teva! I wonder if the chemist would exchange them? Probably not.>

[Guest guest]

Bob, thanks so much for posting the article about the problems with Teva

levothyroxine 100 mcg tablets.

I had horrendous trouble back in November whilst on 100mcg tablets of levo. I

suddenly became hyper but my meds hadn't changed since the previous June. I was

really, really ill. I wonder how long this problem has been going on and

whether this was the likely cause of my problem? Every time my prescription is

filled I get a different generic levo.

Does anyone know how I can find out whether I took this brand back in November?

The doctor only writes a prescription for generic levo and as such presumably

wouldn't have a record. I use 4 different pharmacies so it's hard to remember

which one I used. Does anyone know whether pharmacies keep records regarding

who they prescribe which medicines to?

[Guest guest]

Pharmacies tend to keep records of the brands of drugs they use, especially if

they are a chain such as Boots or Lloyds.

My aunt had some eye drops from one pharmacy and the plastic bottle was so hard

she couldn't squeeze it!! Yet she went to another pharmacy got a different

brand (same prescription) and the bottle was soft enough to use.

> Bob, thanks so much for posting the article about the problems with Teva

levothyroxine 100 mcg tablets.

The doctor only writes a prescription for generic levo and as such presumably

wouldn't have a record. I use 4 different pharmacies so it's hard to remember

which one I used. Does anyone know whether pharmacies keep records regarding

who they prescribe which medicines to?

>

[Guest guest]

> >

> > Yes he should. If he checks with the MHRA he will see that he has to.

> Next

> > time you get a prescription from your GP, ask for the Eltroxin Brand.

> ... [snip]

> > Eltroxin is best.

>

> Thanks, Sheila - I think I'm going to print off the article provided

> here as proof and see what happens. And I'll ask for Eltroxin next time

> I need a new prescription. x

> C.

> > Oh, great. I just checked my Levo pills and the 100 mcg are in fact

> made by

> > Teva! I wonder if the chemist would exchange them? Probably not.

> >

>

Hi, i always ask before i put my prescription in what brand they are going to

give me ,i tell them some brands do not suit me,Teva being one of them.If i take

certain brands with in days i can feel i'm not getting enough thyroxine.I find

that some Pharmacy are willing to order what i want if they do not have it in

and others will not help at all.I feel that if we all ask for what we want at

the pharmacy and if they are not willing to help,tell them politely but firmly

that we will go elsewhere.Maybe then they will get the message(through loss of

sales)after all there are thousands of us one thyroxine.Helen