Save Natural Thyroid Coalition: An Effort to Save Natural Desiccated Thyroid Drugs Like Armour Thyroid, Nature-Throid and Westhroid

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Save Natural Thyroid Coalition: Facebook Group | Armour Reformulation and Shortages | Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Latest Thyroid News from Patient Advocate Mary Shomon

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Information on Natural Desiccated Thyroid, the Shortage, and the FDA

The Latest News

An Update on the Efforts to Save Natural Desiccated Thyroid Drugs Like Armour and Nature-Throid -- September 9, 2009

Coping With the Shortages

Thyroid Patients: How To Survive the Shortage of Armour and Nature-Throid -- August 18, 2009 -- With announcements by both Armour Thyroid's manufacturer Forest Labs, and Nature-Throid/Westhroid manufacturer RLC Labs that these thyroid drugs are on nationwide backorder for at least three months, thyroid patients naturally have questions about what this means for their treatment.
How to Get Your Natural Desiccated Thyroid Drug Prescription Filled -- August 25, 2009 -- As the shortage of natural desiccated thyroid drugs -- like Armour and Nature-Throid -- worsens, patients are finding it more difficult to get prescriptions filled. But if you are on a natural desiccated thyroid drug, and it's time to get your prescription refilled, here are some pointers to help you get the medication you need.

Background

Armour Reformulation and Shortages

Attention Thyroid Patients: Armour Thyroid Is NOT Off the Market -- June 24, 2009 -- The natural thyroid drug known as Armour Thyroid is NOT off the market, but there is a shortage.
Armour Thyroid's Spring 2009 Reformulation Causing Problems -- July 2, 2009 -- During the Spring of 2009, the natural desiccated thyroid drug, Armour Thyroid, apparently underwent a reformulation of fillers that has caused the medication to become less effective for a number of patients.
Forest Pharmaceuticals: Armour Thyroid and Thyrolar are Still Back Ordered -- July 1, 2009 -- Varying strengths of Armour Thyroid have been unavailable, on back-order, and going through mysterious "production delays" for more than two years and counting.
Armour Thyroid Unavailable To Most Thyroid Patients -- July 28, 2009 -- As of late July 2009, all but one dosage size of the natural desiccated prescription thyroid drug Armour Thyroid, made by Forest Labs, is unavailable.
Armour Thyroid On Long-Term Backorder, No Definitive Date for Availability -- August 17, 2009 -- The natural desiccated thyroid drug Armour Thyroid, which has largely unavailable for months during a reformulation, is on back-order. The company has indicated that they cannot provide any estimated date when product will be available.

Medco Involvement

Medco's "Thyroid Products Shortage" Alert
Medco Thyroid Scandal: Misleading Thyroid Drug Shortage Notices -- August 6, 2009
Medco Issued Warning to Doctors Without Assessing Availability of Nature-Throid -- August 11, 2009
Medco Misleadingly Says They Were "Notified by Manufacturers" -- August 11, 2009

Nature-Throid/RLC

Nature-Throid Natural Desiccated Thyroid Announces Back-Order -- August 17, 2009 -- RLC Labs, the manufacturer of the natural desiccated thyroid drugs Nature-Throid and Westhroid, announced that their products are currently on back-order.

Raw Materials/Thyroid USP

American Laboratories Issues Statement Regarding Shortage of Natural Desiccated -- August 19, 2009

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Is the FDA Planning to Get Rid of Desiccated Thyroid Drugs Like Armour & Nature-Throid -- August 19, 2009
What is the FDA Not Saying About The Future of Natural Desiccated Thyroid Drugs?
Is This the End for Natural Desiccated Thyroid Drugs? -- August 26, 2009
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Issues Statement About Natural Desiccated Thyroid -- August 28, 2009
FDA "Marketed Unapproved Drugs --Compliance Policy Guide" (CPG)
FDA Enforcement Letter to Time-Cap Labs, dated April 10, 2009 -- indicates that natural thyroid is an "unapproved" drug
2-page summary article, from the summer 2008 Pharmacy Today magazine, titled "FDA initiative aims to remove unapproved drugs from market" (PDF format)
Dr. Sidney Wolfe, Who Wants to Take Away Your Armour Thyroid, Is Now on an FDA Committee for Drug Safety

Other Organizations and Doctors

Why Thyroid Drugs Nature-Throid and Westhroid are Temporarily Back-ordered -- Dr. John Lowe, at his online journal, Thyroid Science, August 19, 2009
FDA Attacks Natural Thyroid Millions Depend On -- American Association for Health Freedom, Sept 1, 2009
The FDA does away with Armour Thyroid: Another example of freedom of choice in healthcare being taken away -- Dr. Carol Roberts, September 2, 2009
The Desiccated Thyroid Hormone Mess -- Dr. David Brownstein, September 6, 2009

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