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?

Angua why would the push be towards the Mirena coil? Is this something you are aware of anecdotally?

Microgynon and Rigevidon contain the same active ingredients. Written generically I could give either - written by brand I have to give the brand or get the script changed.

The leaflet I linked above details some of the issues with stock shortages - I probably give out 2 or 3 of the leaflets a day at the moment. Our staff are regularly abused by patients despite us doing our best to help them - it doesn’t matter how much you yell - if I can’t get it - I can’t get it.

There have always been shortages of different medicines during my career, but it is worse at the moment. It isn’t all to do with Brexit, although that hasn’t helped. As others have said, the industry was instructed by the government to stockpile in case of a no-deal Brexit, which didn’t happen, but stocks haven’t yet recovered as they now stockpile for October. There are also raw material problems, which seems to be affecting a lot of HRT and contraceptives, again nothing to do with being women’s products, just unfortunate. There has also been the impact of a change in legislation to reduce fake medication flooding the market, which means that manufacturers are having to comprehensively change their packaging at a time when resources are already stretched.

From the other side of the pharmacy counter, PLEASE don’t take out your frustrations on the hard working staff who are just trying their absolute best to get you the medication you need. We share your anger and frustration. Ditto the GP - as they don’t often physically handle the medicines, they can’t be expected to keep an up to date stock update in their heads for every product. If patients could see how much time is wasted in every pharmacy day in day out chasing up medicine shortages and/or organising alternatives to keep the patient healthy, I truly think they would be flabbergasted. As health professionals your pharmacist and GP have your best interests at heart and are working harder than you know to keep the supply chain open under the most difficult of circumstances.

It's not just human products, but veterinary products too. There have been manufacturing issues at several vaccine plants, production issues with a major antibiotic. Current I have 7 key products on back order due to manufacturing problems.

Have a look at the pill ladder and see what is closest in terms of type of progesterone and oestrogen dose
www.gpnotebook.co.uk/simplepage.cfm?ID=738590790

You could try Femodette for the same dose of oestrogen and a less androgenic progesterone

Judashascomeintosomemoney at the end of the day, the main thing is your daughter has her medication she needs. If the prescription stated microgynon then fair enough, it can't be substituted without changing the prescription. However, a pharmacist choosing a different brand of medication that has been prescribed generically isn't 'prescribing.' Microgynon and rigevidon have exactly the same ingredients in the same quantities.

With the HRT stock issues we've advised our local surgeries to prescribe generically if they can, then we can give whatever we have in stock.

Zacsmum thanks for explanation. I’m owed 4 months supply of Hiprex for my bladder and am taking a HRT tablet instead of patches. It’s frustrating but I’d never dream of taking it out on the pharmacists. The one who does my repeats are ringing round every day bless them trying to get hold of items. As you say it must take a hell of a lot of their time to do this on top of all their other tasks. Nightmare.

They are stockpiling life saving meds ahead of brexit. That's along the lines of insulin, epilepsy meds, etc, so post brexit expect problems with any prescription which isnt directly life saving. As yet no list is available to see what they are actually stockpiling, a freedom of information request was placed but as there was no information to release....

So yes brexit stockpiling is contributing to any med shortages before we've even exited.

This is not the EU's fault btw it's the government's.

@opalescent purely based on the anecdotal evidence given on these forums about healthcare providers pushing mirena coils as the first form of contraception.

Like I said, I knew I was probably way off!

It's not Brexit. This happened with my Migraine tablets 2 years ago, and also with my HRT earlier this year. The pharmacist said it happens all the time.
The doctor switched me to other meds that worked well, hope you can find a replacement.

There are brief outages in supply of drugs going on all the time

This is highly unlikely to be Brexit related - the timelines are all wrong.

There may well be difficulties, but this won't be one of them

I often have shortages of one of my medicines. The pharmacist told me it’s because the Chinese market is now taking a far bigger share than it did in the past.

I've got about 10 boxes as I don't take it any more. The pharmacist did say they owed me it last time as hadn't got any but no mention of shortages. I just said I didn't need it.

A friend working for a pharma company tells me that they are stockpiling medicines produced inside the UK outside the UK, so that in the case of a No Deal Brexit with delays at borders they can continue supplying other countries.

And some essential medicines produced outside the UK are being stockpiled inside the UK in case of No Deal Brexit.

Also falling pound against euro is affecting suppliers buying drugs.

And probably other reasons too, but Brexit is definitely a factor in this.

Whilst there are always some medicine shortages, the number now is unusually high.

Drug shortages have been occurring over the last few years, so not just down to brexit. I have a theory that the companies are selling them to countries who will pay more for them. The nhs always go for the cheapest generics, so we're just left with whatever's available and sometimes nothing at all.

Why do people keep saying there are pill brands that contain "equivalent ingredients"? to Loestrin 20? There is no equivalent to Loestrin 20 (or 30 for that matter). The synthetic progesterone used in Loestrin is norehisterone which is a second generation ingredient. If you can find a contraceptive pill with 20mcg of Ethinylestradiol and 1mg of norehistrone I would love to know!

@Lonecatwithkitten not to mention the shortage of Iso and Adrenicaine (Just what we needed at the start of calving/lambing season) and Equip recently!! More and more Veterinary drugs seem to be going out of stock with no due date.

I haven't been able to get Migraleve for over a year now. That's not even a prescription med but it worked brilliantly for my aura migraines.

No idea why.

Hi
This really rattled my boat I’m afraid. It is nothing to do with Brexit. I have spoken to both the producer and manufacturer and then to GP’s. Loestrin 20 is going to be discontinued along with its generic alternatives. It apparently caused problems with the majority so, I’m afraid, the minority for whom it was a wonder drug will suffer. There is a shortage of components for both HRT & contraceptives because they have become very popular worldwide. This is, of course, an opportunity for manufacturers to increase prices...watch this space. Change your pill and stock up. Sorry to all Loestrin 20 & equivalent fans.

My pharmacy have also run out of Loestrin which I have been on for years. I've been doing some research all morning and found that if you are already on a combined pill like Loestrin (contains both Oestrogen and Progesterone) then it is probably best to still with this kind of pill.

I am seeing my nurse today and asking for Gedarel (also a combined pill like Loestrin) as that seems to be the same ingredients as Loestrin.

The mini pill (contains Progesterone only) is good but I worry that taking away the Oestrogen I am so used to with a combined pill may cause more side effects. So I will stick with a combined one. Hope this helps.

Drugs are probably being sold to countries who will pay more for them. The nhs always try to source the cheapest generics and there are developing countries who also need these drugs but who are willing to pay more for them. India and China are two such countries.

Our incompetent and cheapskate healthcare system is doing this to us.

I've just come across this thread, after feeding out I cant get my usual prescription for leostrin 20. I thankfully have only noticed it now as had a 6 month supply given at the start of the year. Pharmacy believe it to be out of stock to at least end of September. They also said they was no like for like switch available so I would need to go back to GP for advice. I have tried so many options and this is the only one that works.

After finding

It’s in hospitals too. There is currently a shortage of heavy marcaine which is the local anaesthetic used in spinal anaesthetics (ie c sections). It’s been communicated at our hospital that theatres are prioritised. In the last year it’s been Iv ondansetron (most common periop antiemetic) and Plasmalyte (iv fluids) again priority given to a&e, critical care and theatres.

It’s just a normal thing that happens and once that’s resolved then a new drug will be in short supply.

The trouble is as one brand becomes unavailable everyone gets switched to the next nearest alternative. This manufacturer can no longer keep up with demand so that brand goes out of stock and the whole cycle begins again. It’s been happening for years it’s only become noticeable now that the problem is with HRT. Whether or not brexit has an effect on this I don’t know so I won’t speculate.

Just please remember, the person you speak to did not cause the problem. Please don’t yell at us, we’re doing the best we can and it’s soul destroying to spend your entire shift chasing suppliers, calling every pharmacy in a 20mile radius only to have someone screaming that your best isn’t good enough.