Prescribing Androcur

[Anonymous]

Hi Andrika
By saying have a (sexual offence) criminal charge recorded against you
are you talking about about a conviction or being arrested on such a charge ?
Hugs
Suzz

[Anonymous]

Thank you for posting this, my doctor has prescribed me androcur and i was worried about that as well I knew i had to sign something to get on the sex offender list but did not know how or when i would be asked to do so, so i was not willing to risk it. so after i finish the spiro i have i may get some and try it.

now on to my next point how much is it, I’m not working at the moment and I’m not sure when i will be able to get to get work, is it on the list for cheap meds for those with health care cards, if i had the money i would not mind paying it but i don’t.

Anyway thank you..

Ashley

Edit: I need to change my avatar pic.

[Anonymous]

Hi Suzzane,

It’s a criminal conviction, where a person has a actual conviction recorded against them.

[Anonymous]

Hi Ashley,

If you have a Centre Link Concession card, the cost should be $7.35 for a box of 50. Make sure you tell your chemist you do not want the cheaper brand, but Androcur 100, (assuming your prescription is 100mg.

You will not need to sign anything, this is for sexual offenders only.( let me know your Doctor’s name and contact details should you be told differently)

My advice to anyone with a legal female name and who is concerned that they may be on the sexual offender’s list, is to apply for a Blue Card and a police clearence. If you get these then you can rest assured that you are not on the sexual offenders list.

Volunteer work with children is good for you and the community and you will need these clearances.

Moderator

Quote:

WARNING
TgR is not a medical forum and any comments you may read in TgR forums are only the opinions of the member posting. You should not assume that a posting on TgR implies any verification or independent review and whilst the advice is honestly offered it is made without knowledge of your particular medical conditions. You should always seek professional medical advice before taking any action that might affect your health.

[Anonymous]

You can be prescribed androcur while still legally male and there is nothing wrong with this, doctors prescribe drugs for things other than their intended purpose all the time. If you have private health insurance you can claim some back from it for androcur.

You will know that you are not on the sexual offenders list when you pickup your script and you have to pay over $130 for one box of 50 tablets. If your dr prescribes you 50mg get them to write a script or 1/2 tablet of 100mg as it works out a lot cheaper.

The thought of someone having to put themselves on that list simply for financial difficuly reasons makes me feel awful. It is bad for us as a group, bad for the poor person forced into that position and it doesn’t help with the reason the list is there either.

Perhaps getting androcur made available to tg people on PBS is something we should be considering to lobby for as a group.

Regards Allie

Moderator

Quote:

WARNING
TgR is not a medical forum and any comments you may read in TgR forums are only the opinions of the member posting. You should not assume that a posting on TgR implies any verification or independent review and whilst the advice is honestly offered it is made without knowledge of your particular medical conditions. You should always seek professional medical advice before taking any action that might affect your health.

[Anonymous]

Hi Alison,

Even if a person gets the script on PBS , (it is already available on PBS),you can’t be put on the list (register) without a criminal conviction and all that goes with this.
The Human Rights Commission sorted this one out a while ago. if you search their website you will see where they have already addressed this issue.
There has already been a lobby for this by the intersex community – the results were postive.

If anyone has any further concerns about Androcur they can phone PBS on 132290, in regards to codes used for androcur).

The interesting thing Alison, is that to my knowledge, not one person can provide any evidence of anyone being placed on the offender’s list without a criminal charge.Perhaps you can?

[Anonymous]

Hi Erika,

No fortunately I don’t personally know of someone being put on the register I am pleased to say.

[Anonymous]

Hi folks

The way this has been explained to me (by an Intersex person) is that Androgen-blockers (like Androcur) have only been approved by the TGA for the purposes for which they’ve been tested, which is for treating men with cancers which are accelerated by androgens, and as a libido inhibitor for men with inappropriate sexual behaviours; e.g. it’s commonly used for older men with dementia who exhibit sexual disinhibition. A medication can only be listed on the PBS for approved uses. So if you don’t have one of the specified cancers, the only way you can access androgen-blockers on the PBS is to be designated as having inappropriate sexual behaviours. Pharmaceutical companies are not prepared to invest in the research for the use of these drugs for Trans and Intersex people because they don’t see that as financially viable, and the TGR can’t approve them for such purposes without the necessary research evidence.

I’ve been told that to take this up with the TGR could have negative results by drawing their attention to the fact that the drugs are being used for purposes other than what they’re approved for, which could make them more expensive.

This is an issue that the National LGBTI Health Alliance would like to pursue, but we don’t want to disadvantage anyone by doing so – the “Law of Unintended Consequences”!

So if you are able to access Androgen-blockers via the PBS without being listed as a male with inappropriate sexual behaviours, I’d really like to hear from you. Please email me at sujay.kentlyn@lgbtihealth.org.au. Total confidentiality guaranteed.

Erika, I’ve done a quick search of the AHRC website and can’t find anything on this issue – could you please send me the link?

Thanks to everyone for what you’ve shared on this topic.

warm regards

Sujay

[Anonymous]

Hi Sujay, many thanks for the info.

I got my androcur via private script and the concession because of my health care card for another issue. On my scripts it is listed as a concession, not as PBS.

Also, my gender with Medicare is female,( as it is with every other organization) so it ,(the register), is not an issue for me. (Not wise for a Doctor to use the wrong code with me as one did by mistake earlier this year – something I informed PBS about – not sure of the result between Dr and PBS).

The issue that I have addressed is that one cannot be placed on the register without a criminal charge, there for one need not be alarmed about getting a script for androcur.
In fact, the PBS have told me previously that PBS scripts for androcur are ‘streamline’ and do not need to be individually approved and they have no information whatsoever about them being linked to any offender’s list/register. (phone them on the above number to check this).

The best advice I can give you on how the government acknowledged thie situation for us can be found by searching ‘sex files’ on the Human Right Commission website. It is a lot of reading, also between the lines.

oh – thanks for all the hard work from you and your group

[Anonymous]

have only been approved by the TGA for the purposes for which they’ve been tested, which is for treating men with cancers which are accelerated by androgens, and as a libido inhibitor for men with inappropriate sexual behaviours

this is basically what my doctor said to me he did not say anything about what you guys have said.

I’m tired……..

Ashley

[Lisa_W]

What everyone has said is true. But what has been forgotten is that you only have to abide by the government rules if you want to claim a rebate for the cost of Androcur.
It is only subsidised by the government via the PBS for the previously listed conditions. Legally your doctor cannot prescribe it for you on the PBS scheme unless you have one of those conditions.

Your doctor can prescribe Anrocur for you quite legally, but you have to pay the full price for it. It is a great drug & works really well at suppressing testosterone BUT it is very expensive.

Lisa

[Anonymous]

And that is exactly what concerns us. Trans people on average have higher levels of education but lower levels of employment than the general population, with many on benefits – which we all know aren’t generous. We don’t have accurate figures for Australia, but I suspect some Trans people are among the most financially disadvantaged people in this country, as well as having many health problems, including mental health, with very high rates of suicide and self harm. Costs associated with both hormone and surgical treatments are high, and have a very adverse impact on Trans people’s well-being, and their ability to fully participate in society, especially the labour market. So it’s really in everyone’s interest to improve access to these very important medications.

[Anonymous]

Quote:

And that is exactly what concerns us. Trans people on average have higher levels of education but lower levels of employment than the general population, with many on benefits – which we all know aren’t generous. We don’t have accurate figures for Australia, but I suspect some Trans people are among the most financially disadvantaged people in this country, as well as having many health problems, including mental health, with very high rates of suicide and self harm. Costs associated with both hormone and surgical treatments are high, and have a very adverse impact on Trans people’s well-being, and their ability to fully participate in society, especially the labour market. So it’s really in everyone’s interest to improve access to these very important medications.

I agree with Sujay i have most if not all of those problem.

Ashley

[Anonymous]

It was interesting at College today. We covered prostate cancer. According to our Australian Text Book,(Lewis’s medical – surgical nursing, Brown & Edwards, p. 1543), Androcur, as it is sold by brand in Australia, does not figure in any of the current hormonal treatments. They now use & recommend the following androgen blockers for prostate cancer: Bicalutamide, Flutamide, Nilutamide). So one wonders whether or not if the Company making the drug cares how its medication, Androcur is used as it does not figure in current treatment regimens for prostate cancer. I suspect a sale for them is a sale regardless of who is using it or for what. I think it would be in the Company’s best interests to maintain a market and test it for Trans folk.
Could it be that this is how the government is helping us, wink wink, nudge, nudge? Because, quite frankly when I approached PBS and medicare they did not seem to care, especially since the drug was streamlined.
But yes, we trans folk need our meds PBS’d for our needs – specifically.

Moderator

Quote:

WARNING
TgR is not a medical forum and any comments you may read in TgR forums are only the opinions of the member posting. You should not assume that a posting on TgR implies any verification or independent review and whilst the advice is honestly offered it is made without knowledge of your particular medical conditions. You should always seek professional medical advice before taking any action that might affect your health.

[Anonymous]

I have been reading this with interest so here is my story
I was originally prescribed by my endo androcur 100 under code 1404, i knew there was rumour of being put on some sort of offender list if this was used, but figured there would actually have to be a conviction in place for that to happen so i wasnt too concerned.

Once i changed my name she switched me over to the 50mg and rang up PBS and got a special code under the 1230 (Moderate to severe androgenisation in non-pregnant women ) to allow me to get 3 boxes and still take 100mg daily, just so no one would question the use of the 1404 code while being female.

It nearly seems as though PBS are turning a blind eye as the use of the 1404 code would be extremely low.

I was also originally prescribed Zoladex (Goserelin Acetate) as well, but there is only a cancer code so i had to pay full price. I stopped after a few months as it didnt agree with me, it also didnt agree with my purse at $330 an injection.

Beth.