Dear Supporters, I wanted to update you on developments with our campaign, and to thank you for your ongoing support. Mostly, I want to assure you that we continue to work on achieving our goal of making injectable B12 available OTC. I attended a meeting at the MHRA with a fellow sufferer, Ali Lister, and following that meeting the MRHA stated: ‘Thank you very much for taking the time to come and meet with us and for raising your issues and concerns with us. You raised many very important and valid points covering a spectrum of issues from under diagnosis, clinical management and the prescription of licensed medicines’. They were interested to learn more about B12 deficiency and pernicious anaemia, and the reason behind the petition; and about why we need the ability to take charge of our own healing in the absence of good medical judgement. One of the panel at the MHRA had family members who also suffer in the same way as us, due to restricted treatment for B12 deficiency. They understood, first hand, the impact of being given limited doses of B12 i.e. when patients are restricted to just four B12 injections per year. We explained that, according to NICE and BNF Guidelines, patients with neurological symptoms should be given an injection every other day. This is not happening, and often very serious neurological symptoms are not recognised, or are simply ignored. We were also able to bring to their attention the fact that so many commonly prescribed drugs, such as Metformin and Omeprazole cause Vitamin B12 deficiency, and that this is not noted on ‘Patient Information Leaflets’ inside boxes. The MHRA has said: ‘Changes could be made to the current POM licences in relation to how the product was used provided any changes proposed by a Marketing Authorisation Holder (MAH) could be supported by clinical evidence. Changes to the licence could have an influence on prescribing practice’. I am in touch with a particular MAH and will update you further asap. Thank you so much for your support. With your help in continuing to share this petition we are hoping to make real change! Tracey If you or a loved one require information to help you manage your condition please use this link. http://www.b12deficiency.info/what-to-do-next/