NHS Devon said current advice was T3 should only be given by an NHS consultant endocrinologist when being prescribed for hypothyroidism.
The British Thyroid Foundation said this reflected a regional variance in prescribing T3.
It said NHS guidance was unclear and left scope for local prescribing bodies to “de-prescribe, limit prescriptions or not initiate new patients on this treatment”.
The charity said scientific evidence to support the benefits of T3 was unclear so not all endocrinologists were willing to prescribe it. But the charity supported calls for more research.
Julia Priestley, from the charity, said: “We think patients who have been shown to have a clinical need for T3 should be able to access it on the NHS, wherever they live.
“We work with other UK charities to help patients who may benefit from T3 to obtain it fairly, consistently and based on clinical need.
“We also support research to answer unsolved questions about T3’s effectiveness and long-term safety.”
The charity warned that self-sourcing the drug without appropriate medical supervision could be dangerous.
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