Marvelon shortage - is it over?

chuckley

so their writing scripts for marvelon but dispensing other carp?! i'll ask @ my app. i refuse to switch.

Hermia

I went to 6 pharmacies yesterday and none have Marvelon. I had to go back to the doctor to get another prescription for Gederal which is basically the same drug. What was worrying is that the doctor's surgery was adamant that no one had come back to them before complaining that they couldn't get Marvelon. Yet every pharmacist said they hadn't had any in for WEEKS and they were getting women coming in every day asking. It makes me wonder whether some women just didn't bother going back to the surgery. Will we have lots of babies in the area in nine months!

Cezzabelle

Im the same, had to ge Gederal. Assured me it was the same thing, only been on it for a week, not noticed any difference. Marvelon is the only one for me and I was not happy about the idea of changing.
Same story re chemist and surgery though, one says not had it in for months (i had to track down my last set 3 months ago in a little village chemist that had just 4 packs left and i took 3 of them) but GP still dispensing claiming no one else has the same problem-weird. Anyone know what the problem with Marvelon is?

Hermia

Cezzabelle wrote: »

Anyone know what the problem with Marvelon is?

This is the company's not entirely clear statement;

[FONT=&quot]“MSD is actively working through manufacturing production interruptions as the company completes the integration and alignment of its manufacturing and quality systems and processes across an expanded global network following the 2009 merger between MSD and Schering-Plough."

What is odd is that this has been going on for ages and has even been reported in the press and yet so many GPs claim not to know about this. The NHS really need to set up some sort of newsletter system so that GPs are kept informed of things like this!


[/FONT]

VfM4meplse

faithcecilia wrote: »

I saw this website advertised on the tube the other week http://www.hardtofindmedicines.co.uk/

This website is IMO misleading - it has the same suppliers as every other pharmacy in England, the difference is it operates over the internet and is touting for your business!

Kate78

If you are having problems getting hold of Marvelon, ask your GP if you can try NuvaRing - it has the same active ingredients as Marvelon.

I've been using it 18 months now

beastyboo

I complained to my doctors surgery as to why they had written a prescription for something that hasn't been available for months. After she implied it was somehow my fault as I had had the prescription for a couple of weeks before I tried to fill it and was now desperate (was on my last pill), she said that when you produce a prescription there is no message saying it has been discontinued or anything so it lets them print it off. I assume this is because the manufacturer has not officially updated the various systems saying it is unavailable.
I had already been to the local chemist who didn't have it, no mention of it being a national problem, and it was only when I went to Boots that they pharmacist there told me of the shortage. Lots of other people had had the same problem. I then looked online and saw that it had been a problem since October last year according to an article in the Telgraph! I have now been prescribed Microgynon. Seems ok so far but was all quite inconvenient.

Sugardonut

I used to use Marvelon (now TTC) - it's the only one that works for me. My doc did warn me though that there were calls for it to be banned so it wouldn't be about forever. Apparently it's believed you have a higher risk of clots.

chuckley

my story:

I asked the (new doc i had to see) if our chemist had it and he assured me there was no problem and wrote me a normal script. i go and ask the chemist and they said 'no havent had it 4 over 4 months (lies i got some in feb from said chemist) anyway she told me i need a new script for the gederal or whatever, as they cant just 'dispense the replacement'.

i phone that 'hard to find' place and is told 'theres none in the country, get a new script'. on way to work i pass 4 pharmacies and ask each and im told 'no, get a new script'. in the LAST chemist i ask and CASUALLY the woman says 'yeah' i asked her if she was SURE and asked her to check. she said 'yea we have it but can only do 3 months at a time'. my script was for 6 but said i need to give them an 'owing' slip when im due for the next.

so basically, that website is TRASH if there was none nationwide why did I get some today?! and other people within the last week? and the GP's know nothing and are dispensing hard to find meds on scripts, try the unknown little chemists that hardly anyone uses, as their most likely to have it.

PLUS those that say Gederal is 'exactly' the same is giving out FALSE info. ppl have already reported bad side effects on switching. clearly it's not 'the same'.

There_Goes_Trouble

I got switched to Cilest and have had no problems with it at all. Apart from the fact the new tablets are a different colour, I wouldn't know anything had changed. My surgery said that Cilest was the closest to Marvelon. I need to go back for some more (because it was a change they would only give me 2 months worth) so I will probably stay on it now, although I will check with the pharmacy first that they're not running out of that one now if everyone else locally has switched to it too!

I was in the pharmacy the other day though, and there was a girl there trying to get Marvelon. Turns out she uses the same surgery as me, so obviously the message has not got through because it's six weeks since I had problems getting it, and I had to go back to the surgery a couple of times to sort out my prescription so it's not like they didn't know about it then. It may have been a different GP in the practice, but even so...