Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
Look how misleading this article is!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30627962//
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30627962//
MSNBC makes pharmacists look like criminals!
Started by JackFruitLover
Get help with your application
Use all the free resources available to you from SDN: articles, guides, expert advising, forums discussions, and school research.
Thats the kind of **** I don't like to read. All that does is make people paranoid about their subscriptions.
1
117296
Yes I become paranoid about magazine subscriptions too....It is legally valid to use therapeutic substitution for prescriptions. But seriously, the article does not really make pharmacists sound like anything, in my mind.
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
Umm... if your pharmacist is switching your drugs to the generic and your doctor really wants your drug to be the brand name, it's your doctor's fault for not writing DAW on it, correct?
And it's only on the second page that the article gets to the real reason many pharmacists switch to the generic: co-pays, cost, and insurance companies. If people were willing to pay $400 for the brand name (instead of $30 for the generic) and insurance companies didn't have the set list of drugs they'll reimburse for, would pharmacists really switch to generic if the brand name was prescribed?
I love how this article makes the pharmacist seem in the wrong, although people choose generic OTC drugs for themselves all the time. I've never heard of someone complaining the the generic acetominophen doesn't cure their headache, but Tylenol does. I only choose the brand names of these drugs for other reasons (the sugar coating on Advil makes taking it so much more pleasant than generic ibuprofen!).
And there's no scientific proof that I know of that generic works less efficiently than the brand name. That woman with the epilepsy: there's a thousand reasons the drug level may have dropped in her blood.
Hmmph. Notice it's from Prevention magazine. The only reason that magazine exists is to scare people and drive doctors, scientists, and pharmacists nuts, I do believe.
And it's only on the second page that the article gets to the real reason many pharmacists switch to the generic: co-pays, cost, and insurance companies. If people were willing to pay $400 for the brand name (instead of $30 for the generic) and insurance companies didn't have the set list of drugs they'll reimburse for, would pharmacists really switch to generic if the brand name was prescribed?
I love how this article makes the pharmacist seem in the wrong, although people choose generic OTC drugs for themselves all the time. I've never heard of someone complaining the the generic acetominophen doesn't cure their headache, but Tylenol does. I only choose the brand names of these drugs for other reasons (the sugar coating on Advil makes taking it so much more pleasant than generic ibuprofen!).
And there's no scientific proof that I know of that generic works less efficiently than the brand name. That woman with the epilepsy: there's a thousand reasons the drug level may have dropped in her blood.
Hmmph. Notice it's from Prevention magazine. The only reason that magazine exists is to scare people and drive doctors, scientists, and pharmacists nuts, I do believe.
I'm really messing things up today, good catch lol
Except for the last point, that makes them sound like money-obsessed cheats, lying that a drug isn't on your insurance company's formulary when it is. And sending people to big chains that can afford to give you $4 generic drugs because you buy your laundry detergent there, too. Not that I don't go to big-box stores myself, and have no complaint with pharmacists at them, I just don't like the kind of ploys to put the smaller independent pharmacies out of business.
AStudentDoctor, I'm glad I'm not the only one that occasionally says subscriptions instead of prescriptions. I'm getting a bit better with practice, hoping now that I'm almost in pharmacy school that I will soon no longer make that mistake... ;-)
It doesn't really do well at delineating between therapeutic substitutions and generic substitution. I'm not sure if it's just our pharmacy's practice or the law, but we only do therapeutic substitutions (the lipitor->simvastatin or Nexxium->omeprazole) with physician approval. Switching Zestril for lisinopril, while I guess technically a "therapeutic substitution" is done without doc notification, though we generally ask on seizure meds, warfarin, and levothyroxine substitutions.
1
117296
I saw that it said something about switching from Nexium to Omeprazole... does that even make sense? I'm only asking because I thought that one would start at the OTC med first then, if that didn't work then they should start on the Nexium? Am I wrong for thinking this? 😕
I'm not sure about the therapeutic side of this matter. From what I've seen working a couple years in the pharmacy, many prescription insurances do not cover Nexium 20 or 40 mg. We end up calling the MDs for approval to switch to Prilosec OTC or the Omeprazole 20 or 40mg tablets. Patients are aware and almost all patients want the generic substitution and pay the lower copay.
If adverse side effects occur while taking the generic medication, patients are advised to stop taking the medication, call his or her primary physician and if needed, go the ER or urgent care.
Please tell me what in the world can happen to a person taking omeprazole, that could not happen to a person taking ESomeprazole??? I will save you the research, if you don't mind. The answer is, THERE IS NOTHING.....
Thank you for your input.
There are new patients taking generic forms of various medications for the first time. It is safe to refer patients to seek medical attention in the possible events of adverse reactions (example: allergic reactions).
Some pharmacists make pharmacists look like criminals.
Contrast 2 recent stories:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHshsgpsxFg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SpahifBZLU&feature=fvw
Contrast 2 recent stories:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHshsgpsxFg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SpahifBZLU&feature=fvw
I read this article a few days ago as well. It really is annoying how they portray pharmacists and how the author uses therapeutic substitution as an umbrella term--obviously confusing many readers (case 1 =/= case 2!).
In the case of the woman with seizures, if she was a regular patient at the pharmacy, perhaps the pharmacist could have browsed the patient history and realized she always takes the brand name, thereby raising a red flag.
Physicians write the drug name they are most familiar with, be it the brand or generic name. Like Farscape mentioned, if her own doctor is monitoring her regimen so closely, why did they fail to mark it to be Dispensed As Written?
The article's shining point is when they discuss how to prevent such "errors" from happening (tell your doctor to mark DAW1, etc.). This is not seen as a physician's mistake, but of course, it's the pharmacist's by filling it as generic by default.
In the case of the woman with seizures, if she was a regular patient at the pharmacy, perhaps the pharmacist could have browsed the patient history and realized she always takes the brand name, thereby raising a red flag.
Physicians write the drug name they are most familiar with, be it the brand or generic name. Like Farscape mentioned, if her own doctor is monitoring her regimen so closely, why did they fail to mark it to be Dispensed As Written?
The article's shining point is when they discuss how to prevent such "errors" from happening (tell your doctor to mark DAW1, etc.). This is not seen as a physician's mistake, but of course, it's the pharmacist's by filling it as generic by default.
What they really want is the brand at a generic price. Here in the UK Drs are paid a bonus by the govnmt to prescribe by generic name. Some of them expect the pharmacist to then give the brand and lose money.
Today had script for levocetirizine and dispensed the generic. Pt demanded Xyzal. We said that if Dr prescribed brand we would give it, otherwise take up with Dr.
johnep
Today had script for levocetirizine and dispensed the generic. Pt demanded Xyzal. We said that if Dr prescribed brand we would give it, otherwise take up with Dr.
johnep
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
Levocetirizine is generically available in the UK? Interesting
Ehh, whatever. More sensationalist garbage.
