michael2595 Posted July 9, 2020 Report Share Posted July 9, 2020 Friend in PV went to many pharmacies and could not find coumadin. asked me to look for him.. I called Christinas and they dont have any. Its odd that pharmacies are out. any advice or leads would be greatly appreciated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bisbee Gal Posted July 9, 2020 Report Share Posted July 9, 2020 https://www.bms.com/assets/bms/ca/documents/productmonograph/CANADA-Coumadin-deletion_D-HCP-Communication_FINAL_EN_04.23.2020.pdf Quote Date: April 23, 2020 RE: Discontinuation of Sale and Distribution of PRCoumadin® (warfarin sodium) Tablets, for oral use. Dear Healthcare Professional, Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada would like to inform you that the sale and distribution of all strengths of Coumadin® (warfarin sodium) tablets will be discontinued in the United States, Canada, Latin America, and Saudi Arabia, due to an unexpected manufacturing issue that could not be resolved expeditiously. Based on stock availability and expiration dates, we anticipate discontinuation of Coumadin® strengths to begin on June 1, 2020. Full discontinuation of all strengths is expected by August 31, 2020. This voluntary action is the result of an unexpected manufacturing issue that cannot be resolved and is not the result of any quality, safety or efficacy issue regarding the product. For your patients currently using Coumadin® (warfarin sodium) tablets, healthcare providers will be required to consider alternatives. BMS cannot recommend a specific product. Prescribing an alternate product is the clinical decision of the healthcare professional in consultation with the patient. In Canada, therapeutic alternatives, including generics, are available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael2595 Posted July 10, 2020 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2020 Bisbee gal. Thank you. I knew something was wrong. I called my friend to get in touch with his doctor . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sm1mex Posted July 10, 2020 Report Share Posted July 10, 2020 Drs. are prescribing a replacement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bojackson Posted July 10, 2020 Report Share Posted July 10, 2020 I've been taking either Coumadin or the generic Warfarin for almost 40 years after having PE's on four occasions beginning in my mid 20's. I never had to change the dosage and my PT was always spot on. Several years ago Coumadin became unavailable in Mexico for a month or so and I was prescribed a Mexican blood thinner which I had major problems with so I returned to the states to obtain a prescription. Again Coumadin has been unavailable in Mexico for at least the last three or four months (good article Bisbee Girl) and after my supply ran out and consulting with my doctor, I am now taking Eliquis which is available here non prescription. It is about twice the cost of Coumadin but so far it is working very well for me. Also once you are established on it, it alleviates the need to have a PT test. It does require one dose in the morning and one at night. Lots of information on the web about the two medicines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johanson Posted July 10, 2020 Report Share Posted July 10, 2020 Eliquis is very expensive up north. After Medicare or Medicaid or whatever its called, I paid $370 US for 30 pills for a 30 day supply up in the US. . I went to Mr. 'google and it said "The list price for a 30-day supply of Eliquis is an average of over $470.US. I am sure glad that I was only on the pill for one month Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
virgo lady Posted July 10, 2020 Report Share Posted July 10, 2020 What Bisbee Gal posted, and Pete reinforces, is typical of pharma industry speak for how they get rid of a drug category that is generic and no longer sufficiently profitable and they want users switched to something they make much more $$ on, and often the old drugs, are actually the better one - simpler and less side effects. They did / have done the same thing with the low strength OTC aspirin / codeine tablets in Canada, forcing people first over to acetominophen version, which I am sure they will very soon eliminate altogether. This, despite the fact that codeine remains on the WHO list of essential and recommended drugs and cannot be abused in low strengths and when combined with aspirin or other binders. They "found" medical profe$$ionals to back and support doing it - q'uell surprise....... Some will say this posting is a conspiracy theory.....and guess what? They're RIGHT. It absolutely is. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WideSky Posted July 10, 2020 Report Share Posted July 10, 2020 When Coumadin became unavailable a few years ago, husband switched to Sintrom / Acenocoumarol which is the synthetic version of Coumadin. Costs much less than Coumadin, easier on his body (not so much bruising), takes less medication to maintain INR. At least with Sintrom / Acenocoumarol or Coumadin / Warfarin you take take Vitamin K if you have a bleeding event. The other anticoagulant products, Eliquis, Pradaxa, Xarelto, are tougher to get bleeding under control. Lots of class action suits for them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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