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Canasa Melting When Shipped By Mail Order Pharmacy?

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Posted 11/20/2010 2:47 AM (GMT 0)

Hi everyone,

I order my Canasa (Rx is 2 per day) from a mail order pharmacy through my insurance and have done so for probably at least 8 years now, albeit using different companies over time depending on my employier's benefits carrier.  I have had two conflicting consultations with mail order pharmacists and was wondering what everyone else has experienced.

I had one pharmacist inform me that once Canasa melted (i.e. during shipping or if your power goes out during a hurricane and your house is a million degrees, or the like), you should NOT use it as it is no longer effective.

I have now also had a pharmacist inform me that Canasa can soften up to 104 degrees and reform and soften and reform several times during shipping (hence the shape of the packaging) and the medicine is fine to use and completely effective. 

I am fighting with the company now about shipping the Rx on cold packs due to the temperature where I live, but the company absolutely refuses citing the second pharmacist's opinion about melting/reforming.  They will only ship on cold packs in the summer.

When my last supply arrived, I could literally squish them with my fingers but the pharmacist insists I should let them reform in the packets and they will be fine.

Has anyone else ever had this question come up or been advised by a pharmacist or GI about whether Canasa is still effective after it softens and reforms? 

Thanks for any information you have!

Posted 11/20/2010 2:58 AM (GMT 0)
I believe in the information insert that it says to not use them if they melt. Maybe you can call up the manufacturer and ask them?
Posted 11/20/2010 3:15 AM (GMT 0)
The insert in the package I received just mildly alludes to not handling the suppository too much as it is designed to melt at body temperature, which makes sense as a melted suppository is pretty hard to administer. But unfortunately there was nothing more specific in the patient info insert that discussed whether, once melted and reformed, the suppository remains medically uncompromised. I think you're right - a call to the manufacturer would hopefully help. I was just wondering if anyone else had ever had this issue. It's pretty warm where I live, so it's likely a geography issue too! Thanks for your reply :-).
Posted 11/20/2010 3:20 AM (GMT 0)
When I could use the Canasa and went on vacation to a warmer state, I usually had them in a cooler. I never had that issue but maybe a few times where one or two were melted when I opened them. I didn't use them though because I would think that even if they were to melt and reform, they probably won't be in the exact same shape as when they were manufactured maybe making them hard to insert anyway.

Oh and don't rub it in that you are in a warm state! ;) Just kidding....I'm from Michigan and we are freezing our tushes off at the moment.
Posted 11/20/2010 8:04 AM (GMT 0)
Maybe you could switch to the 2g dosage Rowasa enemas ? or generic mesalamine.

Yeah, impossible to use a melted suppository...
Can you not get it from a pharmacy? Costco?

q
Posted 11/20/2010 2:35 PM (GMT 0)
Hi q - yes, I could probably get them from a local pharmacy or Costco instead of using the mail order program; it's just a huge cost savings through my insurance to get the 90-day supply mail order instead. The suppositories definitely remold and reharden, so it's not really using a melted one that I worry about, it's whether once it has melted and reformed the medicine itself is still effective. If I think about it logically, I seriously doubt that the manufacturer ships all of their stock on ice packs to places like CVS and Costco though. So I am guessing that the suppositories really have softened and reformed through the shipping process anyway - especially to Florida. I'm just finally feeling better and this is the first time in nearly a decade that a pharmacy has absolutely refused to send the order on ice so I'm just trying to find out if the ice really is necessary or if it's ok for them to soften and reform and then use.
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