Re: Armour Thyroid still available on prescription from Pharmarama

[Guest guest]

Dear

Joanna

Thanks

for letting us know this. We do consider TPA to be responsible and we do not

post information that we have not checked up on. We first heard about the

unavailability of Armour Thyroid for those patients who were prescribed it by

the NHS back in Autumn last year. I personally telephoned Springfield Pharmacy

who told me that neither Pharmarama or Idis World Medicines were able to source

Armour anymore as Forest Pharmaceuticals were no longer shipping it to Europe

or the UK. I then telephoned Pharmarama and Idis who told me that this was

correct, and that for those who had been prescribed the brand Armour Thyroid,

they should ask their doctors to change to the brand Erfa 'Thyroid', Nature

Throid or Westhroid. Armour is still available from certain Internet Pharmacies

outside of the UK where people can still purchase it without prescription, but

we were told it will no longer be available via NHS prescription. I was told

that Armour could no longer be exported to Europe because of a FDA ruling. I

therefore contacted then FDA and asked them to verify this information and they

responded by telling me that

:

" …desiccated thyroid drug products, including Armour

Thyroid, are on the market and available to consumers, even though they are not

FDA- approved. FDA has not

ordered all unapproved thyroid products off the market. There is no

specific 'rule' regarding desiccated thyroid drug products.

Rather, FDA has urged all companies who market unapproved drug products,

including thyroid products, to submit applications for approval.

FDA is concerned that drugs marketed without required FDA approval have never

been submitted to rigorous scientific evaluation, and

therefore may not meet required standards for safety, effectiveness, quality,

and labeling. Marketers of drug products in the U.S. have an obligation

to the public to ensure through the FDA approval process that their products

meet modern standards for safety, efficacy, quality, and labeling.

As a policy matter we do not discuss potential, pending, or ongoing actions

except with the firms and individuals who are the subject of those

actions. Information about enforcement actions against classes of

unapproved drugs is posted on the FDA website. Actions against unapproved

drugs are made in accordance with the priorities discussed in FDA’s

Compliance Policy Guide on Marketed Unapproved Drugs. "

So, the

decision to stop exporting Armour Thyroid to Europe was made by Forest

themselves. We do not have the facts, but it does appear they have no wish to

submit any new applications for approval to the FDA.

And

this is all we know.

I

will telephone Springfield Pharmacy this morning to find out whether the

situation has changed.

In

fact, I have just been speaking to Mr Patel At Springfield Pharmacy and he does

tell me that the situation has changed, and that they are now able to source

Armour Thyroid from a completely different source (NOT Pharmarama or Idis World

Medicines) but he confirmed all of the information I have written above and confirmed

also that during that time, they had great difficulties in sourcing Armour

thyroid from anywhere.

He

has made it very clear that they only source Armour Thyroid for those who have

a private prescription. This private prescription must be accompanied by a

letter giving reasons for prescribing it and signed by the doctor, giving his

GMC registration number. The prescription should have the dosage required and

have written on it " for the treatment of hypothyroidism " .

Many

thanks for letting us know about this Joanna and trust you will appreciate that

TPA has done all within its power to be as responsible as possible based on the

information we had been told and we will continue to be as responsible as we can

so our members are kept up to date with all information.

Sheila

I noticed in a post someone mentioned that you

can no longer get Armour thyroid from Pharmarama in Boremhamwood.

This isnt the case as I have just ordered from them and talked to them this

morning, in which they stated that they had no supply problem and Armour was

available.

I know many people are moving onto Erfa but this does not work for me at all.

So just to put the record straight people can still get it on prescription in

the UK and talk of non availability isn't good for continued supply for me or

other Armour users.

Thanks,

Joanna

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[Guest guest]

Hi Joanna

I too have had no problem in getting armour thyroid from Pharmarama, I was

misinformed that I would not be able to get it from them but have had no

problems at all

Kim

>

> I noticed in a post someone mentioned that you can no longer get Armour

thyroid from Pharmarama in Boremhamwood.

> This isnt the case as I have just ordered from them and talked to them this

morning, in which they stated that they had no supply problem and Armour was

available.

> I know many people are moving onto Erfa but this does not work for me at all.

> So just to put the record straight people can still get it on prescription in

the UK and talk of non availability isn't good for continued supply for me or

other Armour users.

> Thanks,

> Joanna

>