Generic Medications

[lesliepear]

Just found out my Xanax XR has gone generic - so I'm going to try it (saving 15.00 is worth it). I also just read an article in a Drugstore Trade maagzine my husband had that showed which medicines will be going generic in the next 2 years - I saw my Advair will go generic in 2008 (boy that's an expensive medicine without insurance) and my Zoloft in 2007 if I rememebr right. (You have to register @ drugstorenews.com or I'd link to it).

The only one I won't take generic is my levoxyl. It's my one life essential medicine and from what I've heard over and over on the thyca list, the different brands don't always work the same and the generic levothyroid isn't always from the same mfg when you order it. As long as my prescription plan considers it the generic for synthroid, I'm happy (so I pay the 5.00 generic price for it!)

In the list of top generic drugs, I only recognized one - amoxicillin. Apparently there are 2 different kinds of it - but given the # of children I know who have taken it at one time or another I'm not surprised. I think my cat Moxie took amoxicillin once too!

Comments

[riverheart.livejournal.com]

I've had dogs on amoxicillin, as well as using it myself. One time, Deb and I got bronchitis, and we were totally broke, so we couldn't go see a doc or get prescriptions. But we had dog amoxicillin in the cupboard, so we took that. It is the same thing in a different bottle. Deb and I asked our vet! It worked; we got over the bronchitis.

[beckerbuns.livejournal.com]

Yay about Advair (Ricky) and Zoloft (Andrew). Recently DDAVP (bedwetting med which both boys are on) and Allegra (allergy pill that Ricky's on) went generic which was really nice. When I was still taking Prozac it went generic too. Hooray!

[scarlett75.livejournal.com]

I have the generic xanax. It don't see a difference, in efficacy. :)

Generic Medications

[(Anonymous)]

Generic medications can be pretty much a crap shoot. First, the FDA requires that generic medication have at least 80% of the active ingredient of the brand name. It could have more but you'll have to be a savvy web searcher to find out.

There is no similar requirement in so-called inactive ingredients. Inactive ingredients may be substituted at will and with no research into the effect on efficacy. So, the generics can use corn starch or wheat flour as filler despite the fact that many people are allergic to such products.

Finally, generic medications may substitute form factors at will; i.e. switch between capsules & tablets with any research into the effect on efficacy.

In summary, generic medications are great for saving money but do so intelligently. Switch one med at time. Watch for new side effects or lack of effect.

OBTW: Watch out for the prescription by mail services. From personal experience, many medications do not tolerate even slightly elevated temperatures. Most pharmacies have a pretty good record on handling and storing drugs. Once a package is in the mail though, you have no idea what conditions are encountered. I've repeatedly suggested using Tempil monitoring labels but, alas, that costs an extra penny.

Re: Generic Medications

[lesliepear.livejournal.com]

I've not had a problem with mail order prescriptions but will not order my heat sensitive levoxyl by mail. Ever.

I'm sure I'll follow up as my other medicines are switched to generic.

[luvmom.livejournal.com]

Most times the generics are just as good as the brands..
You just have to watch the manufacturers of some of them. But it sounds like your keeping up with that.

I hate the expensive co-pays. Mine is 15.00 for generics and 35.00 for brand names regardless of the medicine.

Stinks since two of the medicines my family takes monthly only come in the brand form. 70.00 dollars a month just on that.
Kind of annoys you when you pay over a 100.00 per week just to have insurance and then have to pay so much to see doctors and get prescriptions.
Hey that just turned into a vent.
lol

[lesliepear.livejournal.com]

I try to mail order my long term medicines so I get a 3 month supply for 20.00 rather than a 1 month supply. I only have 2 currently I can't do that with - one is the levoxyl (heat issues), the other is my xanax XR (because the psy doc only writes one month at a time). Now that it's generic that will help though.

I was even suprised to get a generic zythromax (z-pack) the last time I was sick. It worked just fine.

[lesliepear.livejournal.com]

Oh with such a high co pay, I'd check to see how much the medicine is without insurance. I know thyroid medicine runs about 30.00 to 35.00 for a 100 count bottle without insurance. However, my Advair is around 200.00 a month without insurance.

You sometimes can get a discount without insurance if your doctor writes the prescription for the whole bottle size (usually 100 pills) rather than the 3 month supply (90 pills).

[butterflymama3.livejournal.com]

I tried a generic once of one of my antidepressants and it totally blew. For some reason the regular one just worked better. I do take a generic of Ativan but with my new prescription plan the regular isn't that much more expensive.