Loestrin 20 out of stock all over the country- brexit???

[opalescent]

It's taken me years to find a contraceptive pill that suits me- Loestrin 20 is literally magic.

Now I'm completely unable to get hold of any, due to nationwide stock issues- I have been advised by a pharmacist that this is due to Brexit!

Does anyone know any more about this? Or when the supply issue is likely to be resolved?

Yep, definitely Brexit. Not so much a lack of availability but stockpiling by the suppliers/distributers. There was another thread on this recently. When I couldn't get my dd's meds anywhere in town the chemist let me phone the supplier direct from her phone. Europe wants to teach us a lesson what Brexit will mean. The prices of all these goods will rocket. I was majorly pissed. There are many drugs unavailable now.

Europe doesn't want to 'teach us a lesson'. Don't be ridiculous. This whole situation is entirely our fault and due to invoking Article 50 without even the sketchiest of plans for what might happen next.

Wait til we get the 'precious Brexit' and NHS gets privatised. Shortages won't be what you're worrying about then. It'll be how to pay for it all.

It's to do with the Government's useless preparations for Brexit and issues around stockpiling for an exit date that keeps changing.

It’s not all about Brexit, stock shortages have been an increasing problem for a number of years.

This leaflet gives some of the detail:

psnc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/PSNC-Patient-Leaflet.pdf

Unfortunately there is no date for when Loestrin will be back in stock.

ITS pants. I’ve been on many pills over the years and I found loestrin 20 great also. After my last baby I got put on desogestrel, I don’t know if it’s one you’ve tried or might not be suitable but I’m finding it just as good, take it every day and no periods or side effects!

Same for loestrin30! I’ve switched to a different one which seems to be ok.... but it was a shock though, didn’t even think of Brexit but hopefully not a sign of things to come.

Loestrin® 20 is currently out of stock and Galen Ltd also anticipates that Loestrin® 30 will be out of stock in wholesalers from early June 2019. These products will be out-of-stock for the foreseeable future, with no anticipated resupply date as Galen Ltd works to re-establish supply.

Probably a similar issue as with the discontinuation of Panoxyl and nothing to do with Brexit.

Loestrin 30 is now out of stock - that is info from an old update Soola.

It’s not a discontinued product either.

So I remain confused- if this isn't to do with Brexit- what is it? Why would a drug suddenly be out of stock with NO anticipated restock date? Any pharmaceutical experts about?

There’s something going on. I can’t get HRT conti patches (any sort), the original HRT tablet I was on isn’t being manufactured any more and the drug i take to prevent bladder infections has been unobtainable for the last 4 months with no idea when it might next be available. I’ve never had problems with any of the drugs I’m on and suddenly there’s a bunch that there are an issue with. My friend was sayIng he can’t get hold of his migraine tablets 🤔

Absolutely cymbalon- it all seems so unclear- obviously there's a real problem with drug supply, I've never come across this in my life before, certainly not with something so mundane as a contraceptive pill!

Those people saying it's to do with stockpiling- stockpiling by whom? And for what reason?

They all seem to be commonly used drugs which does make me wonder about stockpiling in case of no deal Brexit. But how do people stockpile? If you put in a request for a prescription drug too early they won’t issue it at my practice to make sure people don’t over order or stockpile.

Could it be that these drugs are all relatively cheap and by taking them out of stock, doing a bit of a rebrand the companies can charge more? It’s very strange.

There’s always been shortages of drugs. However, I think at the moment more mainstream drugs are in short supply.

stockpiling by whom
Government Depts as part of their Brexit preparedness requirements. They work towards the exit date, secure warehousing, refrigeration, transport etc for medicines etc. Then the date changes and they have to start again. Billions being spaffed up the wall in pursuit of a spectacularly botched EU exit.

Thank you motorcycle.

Is the stockpiling for uk residents? In the event that Brexit means we can't get hold of certain things?

Seems a bit ridiculous, if the stockpiling means that we don't have access to those things now!!

I usually take Loestrin 20 and my GP gave me a prescription for one called Gedarel - he said it is exactly the same ingredients. Hopefully that one would work just as well for you OP

So I remain confused- if this isn't to do with Brexit- what is it? Why would a drug suddenly be out of stock with NO anticipated restock date?
This happened a few months ago with Microgynon (and Orvanette) were going to be out of stock for a while, it was known about but it most certainly was not publicised. See link.
www.dispensingdoctor.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Microgynon_Ovranette-Comms-May-2019.pdf
The first I knew about it was when my GP prescribed it, for my daughter as usual, and frankly he MUST have known it was unlikely to be available but didn’t want to have the conversation - he already knew she couldn’t take the alternative, Rigevidon. So off we went to the pharmacist who filled the prescription with, guess what, Rigefuckingvedon. He wasn’t even going to mention it, as I guess he didn’t want to have the conversation either, but unfortunately for him I always check the bag before I leave the desk. I m sorry to say I went apeshit, not fucking ok to just dish out an alternative. But, you know, we’re just wimmin. We don’t matter.

So frustrating Judas! I had a similar situation- given a prescription, couldn't get it filled, waited days to talk to the dr, was prescribed an alternative- toddled off to the pharmacy- couldn't get it filled. As all the people usually taking Loestrin had been prescribed the nearest alternatives. So they had also gone out of stock.

Pharma industry was told to stockpile 6 weeks of product within the UK (for uk use). This has now happened twice (March and now for October). Pharma industry cant just scale up production that easily and quickly so it means holding back some product for sale. Even if the chemical product could be scaled up quickly that's not to say the sleeves or other packaging could be produced to the same standard quickly enough.

Thank you namechange, that makes it a bit clearer!

I usually take Loestrin 20 and my GP gave me a prescription for one called Gedarel - he said it is exactly the same ingredients. Hopefully that one would work just as well for you OP 

Thank you Blair. Actually my GP has done exactly the same as yours! Gedarel is working ok for me so far, but I think I would still return to Loestrin if it were available.

Judashascomeintosomemoney I hope you didn't go apeshit at the staff? If that prescription was done by the Dr generically, you can give an equivalent, most people are happy with that (unless the pharmacy already knew your daughter couldnt tale rigevidon.

It's just as frustrating for us not being able to get hold of anything. What has been happening a lot is stock going out for a week then coming back in. A couple of times this has happened, they've actually been adding tamper seals to the packaging.

hope you didn't go apeshit at the staff? If that prescription was done by the Dr generically, you can give an equivalent, most people are happy with that (unless the pharmacy already knew your daughter couldnt tale rigevidon
The qualified pharmacist? Yes, I did. The prescription was for Microgynon. It was substituted for Rigevidon. The GP had already concluded my DD should take Microgynon I/o Rigevidon after having previously been on it. Rigevidon was subbed without consultation or clinical review. That is not acceptable. My DD is underage and takes the pill not as a contraceptive but because she has been diagnosed with PCOS. If I had not been picking it up and filling it for her, she may not have realised the implication of taking a pill that her GP had changed for Microgynon for good reason. I am yet to receive an explanation as to whether a Pharmacist can make this decision (I will be discussing it at my DDs next consult) I realise a GP could choose to prescribe a generic alternative (and therefore a conversation could be had with the GP at the time of prescribing) but I had no idea a pharmacist could prescribe something other than that which the GP has prescribed. That is not acceptable.

I've noticed the shortage and assumed it was to do with the NHS push towards the Mirena coil. I didn't think it was anything to do with Brexit but who knows, cos I certainly don't!

Anyway, apart from finding out if it is ok for a pharmacist to make an arbitrary decision, all sorted now as my GP issued a new prescription and we were able to find a pharmacy that could get hold of it after a few weeks waiting. My point was to answer the OP, Is this Brexit?, and the answer is Not necessarily.