THE Australian Thyroid Foundation (ATF) has slammed pharmacists as it continues to receive complaints from patients being given a different brand of medication than what they usually take and have been prescribed.
"Patients are often confronted and, in some cases, bullied into taking a brand the pharmacist has chosen to stock, instead of the patient's original brand, and the one that works for them.
"Pharmacists are not thyroid specialists, do not know the patient's medical history or diagnosed thyroid disorder, and therefore, should do what they are there for, to dispense a prescribed medication," the ATF stressed.
Pharmacist regulations have changed this year to permit the dispensing of bio-equivalent formulas of medications to patients on a generic basis when the 'Brand Substitution Box' has not been ticked on a prescription.
The ATF claimed that it is now becoming a "serious problem", as pharmacists quite often change brands/formulas, without consulting first with patients; patients can be told their original brand has been discontinued; patients can be told their thyroid medication no longer needs refrigeration when given a different brand/formula to the one they usually take; and patients are not told that while certain brands/formulas are listed as being biologically equivalent it does not mean they are interchangeable in any given patient.
"They [generic brands] are not all the same, even though they may be listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits List as being biologically equivalent!" the ATF emphasised - despite doctors having the ability to deny brand substitution by ticking the appropriate box on the script.
The active ingredient of brands or formulas can vary from one brand to another, as can the excipients and, therefore, "they are not all the same, which pharmacists should know," the ATF said.
Patients have a choice of brand, which their treating doctor has prescribed based on their medical history, diagnosis and performance of a particular brand or formula.
"This must continue to be respected by pharmacists to ensure patients continue to benefit, feel well and their thyroid health is not compromised," the ATF added.
The ATF recommended patients should continue on their original brand as the prescribed brand of levothyroxine is made on a patient's diagnosed condition
The Pharmacy Guild was offered the opportunity to comment and has declined at this time.
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