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Generic vs. Brand rxs
Started by kbv
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I agree that a selected few drugs are not the same but to say generic and brand drugs are all different is baseless. If this is true, don't you think companies like merck and pfizer would have made a big deal out of it? As a matter of fact, some of these generic based companies are own by these companies. For example, pfizer makes the brand version of neurontin and also owns greenstone which makes the generic version of neurontin. The only difference between the brand and generic is a different label.
I don't think its a coincidence that the most complained about ones are psychiatric and pain meds.
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This writer is an idiot and clearly does not know how much bioequivalence work goes into approval for a generic timed release medication. When I was at Mylan they were telling me about how it took them years to get that generic Duragesic patch right.
The sertraline molecule made in India is no different that the one made in NJ. It's immediate release and weighs the same...it's impossible for it to work any less. Sure, I hear about that +/- 10% crap, but if you really go to these factories and watch them being made, the drug per tablet is accurate to nanograms. You notice that most of the generics that "don't work" are psych meds? It's like the freakin' reverse placebo effect. They think it doesn't work. I've seen it before with the greenstone sertraline and the Pfizer Zoloft. Same drug, same ingredients, same factory. Yet, magically, it doesn't work. What a bunch of phooey.
Check out the person's website, too...oi....
The sertraline molecule made in India is no different that the one made in NJ. It's immediate release and weighs the same...it's impossible for it to work any less. Sure, I hear about that +/- 10% crap, but if you really go to these factories and watch them being made, the drug per tablet is accurate to nanograms. You notice that most of the generics that "don't work" are psych meds? It's like the freakin' reverse placebo effect. They think it doesn't work. I've seen it before with the greenstone sertraline and the Pfizer Zoloft. Same drug, same ingredients, same factory. Yet, magically, it doesn't work. What a bunch of phooey.
Check out the person's website, too...oi....
"Aldactone. It's an acne wonder drug … it cuts water weight from the pill and makes your boobs grow! I got all my friends (with acne) to go on it. "
~taken from the website
WTH?? Aldactone for acne? Did I miss something somewhere? 😕
~taken from the website
WTH?? Aldactone for acne? Did I miss something somewhere? 😕
spironolactone is an aldosterone antagonist, no?
it actually works super well for acne by suppressing androgen activity. it's not used as much as abx but everyone I know who has taken it loved it.
That's right. Drospirenone, the active progestin ingredient in Yasmin, is chemically related to spironolactone and that's why it works well for acne.
"Okay, in case youre now wondering, whats in my medicine cabinet and what Ive taken, (to the best
of my memory) here goes:
Adderall, Ambien, Ativan, Ciprofloxacin, Concerta, Hydrocodone, Klonopin, Methylphenidate, Paxil, Provigil, Prozac, Restoril, Tetracycline, Vicodin, Wellbutrin, Zoloft ... "
well she does have the opportunity to experience lots of brand/generic substitutes....
of my memory) here goes:
Adderall, Ambien, Ativan, Ciprofloxacin, Concerta, Hydrocodone, Klonopin, Methylphenidate, Paxil, Provigil, Prozac, Restoril, Tetracycline, Vicodin, Wellbutrin, Zoloft ... "
well she does have the opportunity to experience lots of brand/generic substitutes....
Spironolactone can also help people with oily skin. However, it can cause menstural irregularities.
I'd think it'd also suppress testosterone activity, so you'd effectively be undergoing the same treatment as pre-op transexuals. Nice!
What's to say that the author wasn't suffering from placebo effect and creating a faulty correlation-causation argument? I'm not sure if I bought her arguments as they were very limited in scope. I also loved this statement
as the assumption that more generics are bad!
as the assumption that more generics are bad!
Now that Alendronate's on the market, we're having issues with brand versus generic again. It's hard to describe the differences between brand and generic products to patients. Within a few weeks, almost all of the insurance companies will want the generic substituted. The insurance companies want the pharmacies to do their footwork. They want us to assure the patients that there's no difference between brand or generic products.
I've never heard about Trasylol before, but maybe some of you have.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/14/60minutes/main3831900.shtml
This was a link on her website.
I've never heard about Trasylol before, but maybe some of you have.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/14/60minutes/main3831900.shtml
We have patients at our pharmacy who threw a hissy fit because we switched from Qualitest mfg. brand generic vicodin to Watson. They thought the absence of a V on the tablet meant that it was a different medication and claimed it didnt work. I have heard good things about the mylan generic for duragesic, but we recently swiched to a Watson brand which was not welcomed by patients. Their complaints on this one seem to be legit though becuase the Watson patches are like twice the size of the mylan brand and have heard complaints of them not sticking to the body, and also causing rashes.
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People have allergies to all sorts of inactive ingredients.
I knew a lady with a Red-40 dye allergy and another lady who had seizures that were induced by aspartame.
My skin gets irritated with certain fragrances--> dryer sheets are the worst!
My point is that we, as health professionals, have to relay information about the differences between the latest generic and its brand-name product. The products are not always "the same".
I don't tell people that they are "the same"; I tell them that the generic medication may have different inactive ingredients. Then people will ask me if they are "the same", as if I'm willing to change my answer to "yes, they are the same". I might then tell the patients that their effectiveness is equivalent, but that's all I can honestly say without knowing what happens during its manufacturing process. In addition, I don't know what some of the inactive ingredients are. We learned about inactive ingredients in Pharmaceutics, but we didn't learn about every single one. In Pharmaceutics lab, we could only compound X number of preparations, so I don't have practical experience with all of the inert substances.
Don't get me wrong, I take generic medications, but I've never been sensitive to those inactive ingredients.
I knew a lady with a Red-40 dye allergy and another lady who had seizures that were induced by aspartame.
My skin gets irritated with certain fragrances--> dryer sheets are the worst!
My point is that we, as health professionals, have to relay information about the differences between the latest generic and its brand-name product. The products are not always "the same".
I don't tell people that they are "the same"; I tell them that the generic medication may have different inactive ingredients. Then people will ask me if they are "the same", as if I'm willing to change my answer to "yes, they are the same". I might then tell the patients that their effectiveness is equivalent, but that's all I can honestly say without knowing what happens during its manufacturing process. In addition, I don't know what some of the inactive ingredients are. We learned about inactive ingredients in Pharmaceutics, but we didn't learn about every single one. In Pharmaceutics lab, we could only compound X number of preparations, so I don't have practical experience with all of the inert substances.
Don't get me wrong, I take generic medications, but I've never been sensitive to those inactive ingredients.
Two of my patients insist on the brand-name Ritalin and had their doctor fill out the form certifying an allergy to the generic so they wouldn't have to pay the difference (they are on Drug Benefit, one of the Canadian programs that provides free medication to people on disability and social assistance).
These same two guys are frequent flyers at the jail where I also work (usually theft and/or drug charges). I told them they have to take the generic methylphenidate while they're in jail because that's "all we have." They take the generics with no difficulties.
Basically, people who demand brand-name narcotics, controlled drugs, and benzodiazepines should raise a red flag with all of us. They could be selling them.
Where I live, it's Health Canada rather than the FDA. But I don't know if, in twenty years of practice, I've seen a legitimate case of someone being unable to tolerate the generic. But whether Health Canada is more stringent in its equivalency requirements than the FDA, I have no idea.
These same two guys are frequent flyers at the jail where I also work (usually theft and/or drug charges). I told them they have to take the generic methylphenidate while they're in jail because that's "all we have." They take the generics with no difficulties.
Basically, people who demand brand-name narcotics, controlled drugs, and benzodiazepines should raise a red flag with all of us. They could be selling them.
Where I live, it's Health Canada rather than the FDA. But I don't know if, in twenty years of practice, I've seen a legitimate case of someone being unable to tolerate the generic. But whether Health Canada is more stringent in its equivalency requirements than the FDA, I have no idea.
Yeah. I've seen that side of the coin too. One person wanted the generic for a CII script. We only had the brand-name and the quantity was less than the script was written for. After we told him/her what we had, he/she left.
The pharmacist made a bet that he/she would return shortly. He could have won money that day. He/she shows back up within the hour. We fill for brand, and he/she loses the difference from the script. It didn't seem to bother him/her that much 🙄
We order in the Mylan patches for some patients. I've heard the same complaints about the Watson patches. They don't peel apart the same way.
slightly smarter article, and duplicates what most of you have read already. I'll post it here anyway.
Generics: Just as good?
As generic drugs become more widely used, some doctors and patients question whether they are as effective as brand names.
By Melissa Healy, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
March 17, 2008
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-generic17mar17,0,2223948,full.story
Generics: Just as good?
As generic drugs become more widely used, some doctors and patients question whether they are as effective as brand names.
By Melissa Healy, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
March 17, 2008
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-generic17mar17,0,2223948,full.story
There are a few cases where there is a difference between brand and generic. But most of those issues can be fixed with slight dosage adjustments. Only in situations with very serious consiquences should a brand/generic switch be a concern, like anti-epiletics.
Isn't it amazing how generics always seem to not work as well? Of all the differences in bioequivalency that may arise....it's always too little, never too much. What an amazing statistical oddity.
I just hope everyone realizes Big Pharma's role in driving this "generics aren't as good" train. Here's a hint, it's big.
Also, interestingly, two weeks ago in JAMA, a group from MIT reported on a clinical trial they performed which demonstrated that analgesia elicited from brand name PLACEBO was statistically significantly superior to generic PLACEBO. Pretty intriguing stuff, though not exactly certain where results like these come into play in the present debate.
http://www.pharmalot.com/2008/03/expensive-placebos-work-better-than-cheap-ones/
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/extract/299/9/1016
Also, interestingly, two weeks ago in JAMA, a group from MIT reported on a clinical trial they performed which demonstrated that analgesia elicited from brand name PLACEBO was statistically significantly superior to generic PLACEBO. Pretty intriguing stuff, though not exactly certain where results like these come into play in the present debate.
http://www.pharmalot.com/2008/03/expensive-placebos-work-better-than-cheap-ones/
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/extract/299/9/1016
Heh.
That's interesting the way stupid people can actually increase or decrease the effect based on their own biases.
We learned this week in class that the act of taking a medication, whether it contain placebo or API, can actually change brain function, physiology,etc. The professor didn't go into specifics about it though.
I just wanted to reply to an old post; thought it would be interesting. First off, I've been on Ritalin since 1994/95 and the difference was astounding for my situation. I went from dreamer to actually propelling myself. Four college experiences later, I've been doing alright. I do have an issue with generic Ritalin though; thought it was all in my mind for many years. I even went as far as paying nearly $200.00 for brand name Ritalin... when my insurance used to pay for it out-right. This started around the time when the housing market went crazy, and prescription drugs went up in price. Funny how the ballance of thing$ really put a lot of people out in the cold; HMO and Health insurance in general wise that is. Well, now I'm hunting down specific generic brand suppliers; trying to stay away from names like "Watson Labs etc", because the side effects are very noticeable; that dirty feeling some people refer to.I wake up feeling like I went to the club and stayed up all night; dry eyed and so on. I remember being slumped over in my car during college and feeling like my skin was on fire... Regular Ritalin does none of these as far as I have been affected by the medication. Brand name also keeps you on track which is what it's supposed to be taken for. Generic is not brand name, and generic medications should always be on call to respect what their parent medication does and it's purpose. When it performs less, and offers diverse side effects in increasing numbers... then it's slipping farther away from its identity to a brand name medication. Some however are very close, depending on the lab it comes from; the only way I can stay on top of this issue now-days. Every once in a while ( when I have the $$$ I will buy brand name ), and enjoy what ADD medication is supposed to be like... keeping me on track, and feeling normal. I have more to say, but here... is enough for now. Good luck to those trying to cope, and take care.😳
I think you need to consider cutting back on the Ritalin.
My friend has taken methylphenidate (generic ritalin) all of his life and after being switched to the brand name, he felt sick after taking a single dose of Ritalin. So I guess you're not entirely correct in saying that the brand name is safer. Keep in mind you are not the only person on this med and you can't make generalizations regarding a non-blinded, non-randomized, non-controlled study (n=1) in which the investigator and the subject are the same person.
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This is beautiful.
There is something wrong with you, that's the issue. If no one ever said it to you, then I'm saying it now.
You sound like a drug dealer. 😱
