Jhoanna Robinson – The National Health Service is eyeing the cessation of the incessant prescription of Liothyronine, a drug that is used to treat thyroid disorders, after its manufacturer, Oakville, Canada-based pharmaceutical company Concordia International, increased its retail price by 5,662 percent to 9.22 British pounds from 16 p per tablet.

Liothyronine is used to treat hypothyroidism or under-active thyroid, which affects 15 in every 1,000 women and one in every 1,000 men in the United Kingdom. Hypothyroidism is characterized by a poor ability to tolerate cold, constipation, a feeling of tiredness, depression, and weight gain.

An under-active thyroid means your thyroid doesn’t produce enough hormone, and can be caused by many things, including lifestyle. In more severe cases, it can occur when the immune system attacks the thyroid gland and damages it, or when the thyroid sustains damage that was caused by treatments for an overactive thyroid or thyroid cancer.

As there is only one supplier of Liothyronine, patients could be forced to go all the way to Europe, where a packet costs only around a few euros. Continue reading →