Generic Medicine

[Celine]

i am taking topomax for my migraines and i was told to try the generic. it didn't help. within 2 days i had migraines. 6 months later my pharmacist told me to take the clone which is manufactured by the same company and has the same ingredients in it just marketed with a different name, topolax so it would be cheaper, half the price. it is completely different to the generic which is marketed by a different company and contains different ingredients. so i tried it. no migraines, half the price.

 

[rodga]

interesting this clone/generic thing
I was under the impression the generic was an exact 'replica' of the original
this is obviously not the case

 

[Azbubu]

i am taking topomax for my migraines and i was told to try the generic. it didn't help. within 2 days i had migraines. 6 months later my pharmacist told me to take the clone which is manufactured by the same company and has the same ingredients in it just marketed with a different name, topolax so it would be cheaper, half the price. it is completely different to the generic which is marketed by a different company and contains different ingredients. so i tried it. no migraines, half the price.

I don't understand. So there are generics and then clones? You tried two different generics and one worked while the other didnt?

 

[Mila]

If its not the same active ingredient its not the generic. Sketchy pharmacist? Or you're reading the info sheet wrong.

not all generics are pharmaceutical equivalents.

AFAIK there are generics for Deselex (Desloratadine) but Loratadine isn't one of them - it is very similar though. However I'm happy with Pollentyme (Loratadine) so it doesn't really phase me much at all.

http://www.health24.com/medical/Medication/777-4192,45248.asp

Oke so its almost similar but not. Loratadine is the active ingredient of Desloratadine.
The Pharmacist told me to use Loratadine it the same thing. Whe I found that it was not working I saw the diffrence in the info sheet.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desloratadine

Like Killa said I have asked the Pharmacist about all the medication and they told me there is no diffrence. Maybe they think we plebs would not even know the diffrence.

I have also found that the Generic to Wellbutrin is not a good idea.
Seems like a shady business.
http://baronandbudd.com/legal_services/unsafe/budeprion
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Depression/story?id=3731555&page=1
http://depression.emedtv.com/wellbutrin/generic-wellbutrin.html

However, generic medications are allowed to have different inactive ingredients than their brand-name versions. These inactive ingredients might include fillers, dyes, or other ingredients that may cause problems for people with allergies or sensitivities.

http://www.walgreens.com/pharmacy/brand_genchart.jsp

As I said. I was under the impression that it was suppose to be the same thing. Seems there is very few that is the same thing.

 

[Mila]

i am taking topomax for my migraines and i was told to try the generic. it didn't help. within 2 days i had migraines. 6 months later my pharmacist told me to take the clone which is manufactured by the same company and has the same ingredients in it just marketed with a different name, topolax so it would be cheaper, half the price. it is completely different to the generic which is marketed by a different company and contains different ingredients. so i tried it. no migraines, half the price.

Now there is clones.

interesting this clone/generic thing
I was under the impression the generic was an exact 'replica' of the original
this is obviously not the case

+10
Seems like generic is a scam. IMO.

 

[rodga]

just to add
I found the prices I was quoted for the original vs. generic antibiotics
R147.57 vs. R136.35

 

[killadoob]

"However, generic medications are allowed to have different inactive ingredients than their brand-name versions. These inactive ingredients might include fillers, dyes, or other ingredients that may cause problems for people with allergies or sensitivities."

Yup that is why you will see a different side effect list on two drugs claimed to be identical. There are few exact replica's using the exact same combination.

 

[ice_cubes]

My take on this:
If its normal everyday meds for headaches & flu.. I buy the cheapest.
If its meds for serious conditions... I take what the doctor prescribes.

 

[rodga]

"However, generic medications are allowed to have different inactive ingredients than their brand-name versions. These inactive ingredients might include fillers, dyes, or other ingredients that may cause problems for people with allergies or sensitivities."

Yup that is why you will see a different side effect list on two drugs claimed to be identical. There are few exact replica's using the exact same combination.

is there some sort of database where one could look up these products/differences etc?

 

[Jamal]

is there some sort of database where one could look up these products/differences etc?

http://home.intekom.com/pharm/

 

[rodga]

cool thanks

 

[Celine]

I don't understand. So there are generics and then clones? You tried two different generics and one worked while the other didnt?

abzo did you not read my response.

generic is manufactured by a completely different company altogether.
the clone is manufactured by the same company but under a slightly different name with the same ingredients. why they do this i don't know. i will ask my pharmacist the next time i see her.

 

[ponder]

Whe I found that it was not working I saw the diffrence in the info sheet.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desloratadine

If you google you find several alternatives to Deselex that also uses Desloratadine. Whether it's available locally I don't know.

 

[Mila]

If you google you find several alternatives to Deselex that also uses Desloratadine. Whether it's available locally I don't know.

I know that now. But I thought a chemist would know. I assumed wrong. They seems not to know.
I did not have google with me at the chemist.

 

[zippy]

interesting this clone/generic thing
I was under the impression the generic was an exact 'replica' of the original
this is obviously not the case

Generic meds are exact replica's. These can't be generic. Made in some garage in some s###thole, probably

 

[noxibox]

Just got back from my dermatologist who told me that if the chemist tries to sell me a generic for the medication she has prescribed I must tell them "NO! My dermatologist will freak out if I use a generic!"
This could be because she's being paid by the pharmaceutical company to promote the brand name over the generic
or it could be that she thinks the generic is inferior. I think this is the case.

And just because a doctor believes the name brand is better doesn't make it so.

how much can one actually save using generics?
I was prescribed a dose of antibiotics a while back, I asked for the generic and it worked out about R20 cheaper.
I thought it would be more - doesnt seem worth it to use the generic, unless its for chronic meds?

Depends very much on the drug. The pain medication I take is only slightly cheaper, but the two are identical, so no reason not to save the few Rand. On the other hand I've used medications where the difference is 50%; hundreds of Rands.

generic is manufactured by a completely different company altogether.
the clone is manufactured by the same company but under a slightly different name with the same ingredients. why they do this i don't know. i will ask my pharmacist the next time i see her.

Expansion of potential market while protecting their brand's premium status. Happens in other products too.