Quite new to taking Tamoxifen. No adverse effects yet. Well aware how the brand can make a difference.
Hospital issued Milpharm, then repeat from GP was left as generic. The pharmacy, made up the prescription using all the left over tablets from Workhardt, Genesis and something else. I called the pharmacy, explained I wasn’t happy about all the different brands, but they couldn’t do anything until they get a new prescription.
Lucky for me, I had a Dr appoint scheduled. Mentioned this issue, so the Dr reissued a new prescription, specifying Milpharm.
Collected today, got home and to my shock…three boxes, non of which are Milpharm! Called pharmacy again, asking why (it was actually them that said to get it printed on prescription), this time I was told, it came down to cost and whatever they had in stock.
I said to them……you are over ruling a specify request from a doctor for your own benefit, and told them I hope I don’t have an allergic reaction, as a consequence of them doing so. Their answer was to get another prescription. Honestly, I’m fuming. I spend enough time at Drs, hospital and pharmacy, I don’t need extra trips.
Can not take them back, because I have already left (in case of tampering) so I must make sure I check contents next time.
Has anyone else come across the same issue, when it is specified on their prescription?
I have accord brand of Letrozole specified on my prescription but unfortunately no matter how many times I ask the GP to write it at the top, they write it at the bottom in patient information so the pharmacist doesn’t see it.
Fortunately, however, I have a fabulous team at my nearest Boots and they know me by now and are happy to switch it over when I’m there if it’s not the correct one - I always give them a call before I go to collect to make sure they read the bottom of the electronic script where patient information is.
It’s such a palaver isn’t it! Plus the fact you can only get one month at a time so it’s a regular trip out!
I’ve had similar issues with my pharmacy, Boots has been good at sticking to the prescription but the other pharmacy just gives me something different each time. They’re supposed to call me if they don’t have my preferred brand so I can go into Boots but they don’t. It’s annoying that I have to go into Boots to get what I need, it would be so much more convenient if Lloyds/Pharmacy2u could just deliver what I need.
I was initially given two month’s worth (Mylan) by the hospital and had no side effects so was anxious when my first GP prescription was a different brand. Six months later I am on brand number four (Tilomed, Milpharm, Wockhardt) and not noticed any difference between them at all. I am certainly not suggesting brand doesn’t affect some people, but it is not a given that it will. It may be worth giving them a try as if you don’t feel any different then it is one less thing to worry about if a particular brand is not available. x
I had almost this exact same problem!
Oncologist advised me to stick to one brand and pharmacy gave me Wockhardt on first prescription so that’s what I had to stay with. Pharmacy refused to give it to me second time as they said it was too expensive (despite the fact they’d given it to me first!) and it wasn’t named on my prescription. I went back to GP who was more than happy to specify it. Pharmacy then claimed they couldn’t get it as was out of stock everywhere.
I ended up getting them to give me the prescription back and trekked around about 5 pharmacies before I found one they had it! Dreading when I need the next one
I had RelonChem first, which was ok. Then tried Tilomed which left me vomiting. Then MilPharm which is also ok.
Now my prescription from my Dr specifies RelonChem, but as its hard to get, i speak to my pharmacy every repeat prescription and they give me MilPharm.
How soon after changing brand did you notice your issues…I.e vomiting or headaches?
I’m on day 12 of Workhardt, and this afternoon a headache has been brewing. But I am prone to headache just before a period. So it could be menstrual related.
The vomiting was the same day, it really didn’t agree with me. Stopped taking it, tried it again later and same thing happened. Other side effects were within three days or so.
I also used to get bad headaches around my periods.
It was pretty quick. I was only on that brand for 30 days and had enough headaches that my oncologist sent me for a full body MRI just to make sure that it wasn’t something else. I had headaches every single day. I misplaced my 2nd box of that brand so I switched to the new brand early and I haven’t had a headache since (9 days).