Creon Availability

[martindt1606]

Ok I know this is a question for that little known minority group - T3c

I have a call next week with PCUK to discuss Creon availability and thought I'd see how bad / good things were this month. On other Forums there are still ongoing reports of unavailability and (the annoying) reports of regional availability.

Are you still encountering issues?

I've just received a box from Lloyds Direct this afternoon, containing my Creon for a 54 day old prescription.......

 

[Proud to be erratic]

I got my 10 x 25k cartons plus the supplementary 10 x 10k cartons 7 days after placing that order earlier this month. I only got 10k cartons in March. The Pharmacist from the prescribing Medical Centre has opened up an option for me to have multiple repeats of 10k cartons ever since the 25k shortage hit here last summer, allowing me to get by with my foraging wherever I can find a source and I'm grateful for that positive assistance.

I have got to know my supply Pharmacist quite well these last few months and I made a point of asking them to do their very best to fulfil my April order and said I would readily make two or more 40 min round trips to collect in dribs and drabs, if necessary. My reserves were stretched! The Pharmacist (local Tesco Pharmacy) said they never knew if their request for 25k cartons would be fulfilled and the Tesco Head Office could not offer a commitment to our Branch - such was UK wide demand and irregularity of central supply. Not my preferred answer - but good management of my expectations!

 

[Proud to be erratic]

I'll put in an early request for 25k cartons now, to test availability. I'm not stockpiling excessively since my current reserves are predominantly 10k cartons; the 25's still have to eaked out by using 10k capsules. Strangely my requirement seems to have increased these last few months (CAUTION TMI: needs constant visual checks!)

 

[Chris88]

I have had trouble securing Creon 25000 for several months now. I changed my prescription to Nutrizym 22 but now have trouble getting these regularly. Each month I have owing notes for either Creon 25000 or Nutrizym 22 or both!
I recently attended an event hosted by hepato - pancreato - biliary staff in Oxford where they discussed national shortages of PERT products and dose equivalent products . I think this will be a long running problem.

 

[soupdragon]

My pharmacy can't get 25 0000. They are requesting 10 000 from surgery but I haven't received them yet.

 

[soupdragon]

Update. Just has a text from the pharmacy. Hopefully the 10 000s are in.

 

[Chris88]

 

[eggyg]

My pharmacy got me two tubs of 25k about three weeks ago, and “owed” me two more. I got them just a week later. That’s the first time I’ve ever had a problem to be fair. Fingers crossed the issue gets resolved very soon.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I’ve never known a time like it for shortages of all kinds of different meds.

Our pharmacy now insists on having 5 days from the receipt of a ‘script from the Dr to prepare the meds for collection. I can remember decades of just walking into a pharmacy with my green bit of paper and walking out 10 minuted later.

Part of me wonders if the 5 day rule (which has risen steadily and sharply from 48hrs around pandemic time) is connected to difficulties in sourcing stock to fulfil prescriptions, and pharmacies wanting a few days to chase around looking for things?!

 

[grovesy]

My Pharamcy not only has more shortages but it also has queues that it never used to have. The queues are down to 3 Pharmacy's closing in the area since Xmas. I also noticed when I called into a another Pharmacy on Monday, they had a notice on the door saying 4 Pharmacy's had closed recently, so there maybe a longer wait there.

 

[martindt1606]

I got my 10 x 25k cartons plus the supplementary 10 x 10k cartons 7 days after placing that order earlier this month. I only got 10k cartons in March. The Pharmacist from the prescribing Medical Centre has opened up an option for me to have multiple repeats of 10k cartons ever since the 25k shortage hit here last summer, allowing me to get by with my foraging wherever I can find a source and I'm grateful for that positive assistance.

I think splitting the prescription is a great idea and was on my list for the next time i go to the GPs. I don't need 20 tubs on the 5th of the month so happy to delay half for 2 weeks if it helps with supply.
Supply management is a joke - I have 3 Wells pharmacies within 5 miles. Last month i took an outstanding prescription to 2 of them and was told they wouldn't accept as computer showing no stock available and non expected. The next day the 3rd one delivered the prescription for this month which the GP didn't approve until the day before.

 

[martindt1606]

I'll put in an early request for 25k cartons now, to test availability. I'm not stockpiling excessively since my current reserves are predominantly 10k cartons; the 25's still have to eaked out by using 10k capsules. Strangely my requirement seems to have increased these last few months (CAUTION TMI: needs constant visual checks!)

know exactly what you mean, but it did help build a buffer. After a long conversation i convinced the GP I needed to increase from 17 tubs to 20, he agreed and said he would increase from the next prescription. However i got a call the following week to say i had creon waiting to be picked up - for some reason (computer glitch?) an extra prescription was generated. Its still not right and currently diarysing for the CNS.

 

[martindt1606]

I’ve never known a time like it for shortages of all kinds of different meds.

Our pharmacy now insists on having 5 days from the receipt of a ‘script from the Dr to prepare the meds for collection. I can remember decades of just walking into a pharmacy with my green bit of paper and walking out 10 minuted later.

Part of me wonders if the 5 day rule (which has risen steadily and sharply from 48hrs around pandemic time) is connected to difficulties in sourcing stock to fulfil prescriptions, and pharmacies wanting a few days to chase around looking for things?!

Agree when i first started out on Creon (over 20 years ago) my wife would pick up the prescription from the surgery, wal to the chemist, be greeted by name, and everything would be packed up and waiting.
My GP Surgery is very strict on approving repeat prescriptions - if you put one in early because its Easter they won't approve until after the bank holiday. Its on my list to discuss with them later in the week. One charity has advised submitting Creon prescriptions 14 days early. Not sure how that helps if there is no stock anyway because as there is not a single warehouse you are still hit with the random delivery by pharmacy and region.