Humira - where to buy it?

[ginandtonicformeplease]

Has anyone in the Midlands managed to get hold of this? I haven't managed to find a single pharmacy that will dispense it. My nearest hospital at first said yes, but called back and changed their minds - no idea why.

At the moment the only place I can find that dispenses it is in London - as it's a chilled medication I was really hoping to find somewhere closer to home to get it from. Lloyd's online can't get it from their suppliers at the moment - the online pharmacy my clinic usually orders from doesn't stock it either.

I’m on Humira for crohns, and mine is supplied by healthcare at home.

At the moment, there is a big push for people to be moved onto “biosimilars” which are essentially a cheaper version of the original drug Humira. I don’t know whether this is influencing supply??

Thanks @Anaesthetist83 - I did try them but the doctor has to be registered with them, they won't supply an individual prescription.

I've had to have the generic name for one of my epilepsy meds put on my prescription as the branded one has just dried up - why are there so many medication shortages at the moment?!

Is the Humira for infertility in your case? Do you have a prescription?

It is a Hi-Tech drug very strictly controlled only under prescription from a consultant.

It's hospital only prescribing.

You'd need to see a consultant and fulfil a pretty long list of requirements (and other medications to have been tried for extended periods without satisfactory improvement or unacceptable side effects first) to be approved for funding, as it's incredibly expensive - and dangerous, as you'll also need to be tested for hiv, tb, hepatitis and have a chest xray beforehand.

What are you wanting it for?

By the way, I need it for otherwise uncontrollable autoimmune disease. As I can only get 2 pens a time, I'm now wondering whether other people's wishes for babies is the reason I now never know whether I'm going to get it in time for my next dose?

I'm feeling a little crabby right now as the sideffects are pretty shit, but I am doing it so I don't drop dead like my father did aged 54 (which gives me 8 years left otherwise). So I think a slight element of 'what the fuck? Something nice compared to something lifesaving?' is creeping into my reasoning.

MitziK Perhaps the fact that this is on the infertility board gives a clue what I want it for? As prescribed by my consultant.

To PP who asked if I have a prescription, of course I do, but as he's in London he could only tell me where I can get it in London.

I do know what it's like to not know where my next dose of life-saving meds is coming from (see previous post about epilepsy meds): what I don't do is blame other people who've been prescribed them for other reasons.

Stork?

Do any of the London pharmacies offer delivery?

Normal pharmacies won’t stock

It just came up on Active posts - the category it's under is in a typeface too small and a slightly different shade of purple to the general purple on the app screen, so it's quite hard to see when your eyes are also affected.

Does this consultant tell you just how dangerous a medication it can be? Not just in terms of dying during use from infection/sepsis, but in skin and other cancers?

Healthcare at home can supply on a named patient basis with a valid prescription. But they can also add a massive premium if they like, too.

Mitzi Of course he did: as he's told me the risks of every other drug that I've taken to try and prevent miscarriages. It's very much a last resort drug for this - really unlikely that women trying to prevent miscarriages are drying up the supply.

The London pharmacies don't send out chilled medication - I'd have to go in person. That's not the problem: it's the getting it home and keeping it at the right temperature that's difficult.

Healthcare at Home told me point blank that the doctor would have to be registered with them to take the prescription.

@ginandtonicformeplease

They can supply Humira in a cool bag for transport - it will be absolutely fine. I do this all the time with mine for holidays etc.

A cool bag, ice packs and a thermometer will keep it at fridge temperature for around 6-8 hours They're usually on amazon prime under 'cool bag for insulin' for about fifteen to twenty quid.

It's usually on special contract to centralised pharmacies who also manage the patient support for it too (problems, teach you how to inject, supply and dispose of sharps boxes) and dispense directly to patients (hospital prescribe directly)
Healthcare at home have the contract for dispense and deliver for my area. Annoying as my other directly dispensed drugs are with another company.
It's an incredibly expensive drug (£10k per year)so now it's come off licence in Europe the NHS has generally switched to biosimilars - each health trust has made a choice as to what they have swapped to - here it's Amgenvita, so far I've not noticed a difference except the injectors are different.
Your Dr should be helping you find it, but you could try speaking to 'Healthcare at Home' and see if they can help or contact Humira and see if they can point you in the direction of a prescriber.

I got mine from Stork Fertility Service (part of HealthNet Homecare). But not sure if the doctor has to be registered with them or not.