Caduceus
Shared on Mon, 12/03/2007 - 09:06Generic medicines are good.
Just like you don't always need name brand products, generic medicines are good medicines.
Most medicines have at least two names, the chemical name (diphenhydramine) and a brand or trade name (Benadryl), which is usually capitalized. Sometimes, the Canadian trade name is different (Allerdryl). It is most common for scientific studies to refer to a medicine by the chemical name instead of a trade name.
New medicines are now a part of DTC (direct-to-consumer) advertising. When Viagra (sildenafil) was first released, for example, DTC advertising couldn't mention what it was for (erectile dysfunction, though interestingly it can also be used in pulmonary hypertension). As a result, people who had no business even asking about the medicine came in wanting to be on that "little blue pill" they saw on the television. DTC advertising is a whole other kettle of fish, and I'll get back on-topic.
Most medicines that physicians now use regularly have been through evidence-based medicine. This means that medicines for common health problems - hypertension, diabetes, etc. - are now looked at through the glass of treatments that prolong healthy life.
Newer medicines for these common problems are the "new kid on the block" for most doctors. They have to prove themselves for a few years in clinical studies and usually with specialists before a general practitioner will use them in their patients. The corollary is that thousands and sometimes millions of patients are put on medicines that we find can increase certain types of risk (in the case of Vioxx, for example). Again, this is a discussion that could run for pages.
The FDA monitors trades and generics. They test random lots of medications to make sure that what is in there is what your are paying for and what your doctor prescribed. A large pharmaceutical company had to shut down a production plant last year when the diabetic drug they were making didn't meet those standards and the whole plant had to be retrofitted and restarted about six or nine months later.
The FDA checks to make sure that 80-120% of whatever is on the label is in the tablet or capsule that goes in your mouth (or wherever you're supposed to take it). This sounds like a lot of variance, but it is the same standards the trade names are required to meet. I put that in bold simply because a pharmaceutical drug representative informed me that the generics could only be 80% of what is on the label in the tablet. I quickly informed him that his medicine was under the same scrutiny. I wonder how many physicians fell for that one.
We now have the "Four Dollar List" in our area where a major retailer will fill generics on a certain list for four bucks a month. For my area this is great news because as you probably know, if a patient is able to buy their medication, they are more likely to take it. Most companies are scrambling to do something similar.
Of course people can have a bad reaction to any medication, trade or generic. Every medication has risks. Read the inserts and warnings. If you have questions ask your doctor (or other health care provider). Tell them early so they can make changes to help you comply with their regimen. They can't help you if they don't know about it.
Good health.
Just like you don't always need name brand products, generic medicines are good medicines.
Most medicines have at least two names, the chemical name (diphenhydramine) and a brand or trade name (Benadryl), which is usually capitalized. Sometimes, the Canadian trade name is different (Allerdryl). It is most common for scientific studies to refer to a medicine by the chemical name instead of a trade name.
New medicines are now a part of DTC (direct-to-consumer) advertising. When Viagra (sildenafil) was first released, for example, DTC advertising couldn't mention what it was for (erectile dysfunction, though interestingly it can also be used in pulmonary hypertension). As a result, people who had no business even asking about the medicine came in wanting to be on that "little blue pill" they saw on the television. DTC advertising is a whole other kettle of fish, and I'll get back on-topic.
Most medicines that physicians now use regularly have been through evidence-based medicine. This means that medicines for common health problems - hypertension, diabetes, etc. - are now looked at through the glass of treatments that prolong healthy life.
Newer medicines for these common problems are the "new kid on the block" for most doctors. They have to prove themselves for a few years in clinical studies and usually with specialists before a general practitioner will use them in their patients. The corollary is that thousands and sometimes millions of patients are put on medicines that we find can increase certain types of risk (in the case of Vioxx, for example). Again, this is a discussion that could run for pages.
The FDA monitors trades and generics. They test random lots of medications to make sure that what is in there is what your are paying for and what your doctor prescribed. A large pharmaceutical company had to shut down a production plant last year when the diabetic drug they were making didn't meet those standards and the whole plant had to be retrofitted and restarted about six or nine months later.
The FDA checks to make sure that 80-120% of whatever is on the label is in the tablet or capsule that goes in your mouth (or wherever you're supposed to take it). This sounds like a lot of variance, but it is the same standards the trade names are required to meet. I put that in bold simply because a pharmaceutical drug representative informed me that the generics could only be 80% of what is on the label in the tablet. I quickly informed him that his medicine was under the same scrutiny. I wonder how many physicians fell for that one.
We now have the "Four Dollar List" in our area where a major retailer will fill generics on a certain list for four bucks a month. For my area this is great news because as you probably know, if a patient is able to buy their medication, they are more likely to take it. Most companies are scrambling to do something similar.
Of course people can have a bad reaction to any medication, trade or generic. Every medication has risks. Read the inserts and warnings. If you have questions ask your doctor (or other health care provider). Tell them early so they can make changes to help you comply with their regimen. They can't help you if they don't know about it.
Good health.
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Submitted by J-Cat on Thu, 12/06/2007 - 11:17