Monday, September 04, 2006
Hi
HI,
While we are waiting for the OC WebRing to link me back up, I guess we'll talk about generics vs Brand Name drugs.
My father was a hospital pharmacist. He was the pioneer in Michigan for Unit Dose and prior to his first heart attack he was on his way to being appointed to the Michigan Board of Pharmacy.
One thing that he always drove home to me. The drug companies that make generics are usually small and for the most part are located OUTSIDE of the U.S. and they only maintain a U.S. address to satisfy the FDA requirement that they be a 'U.S. Drug Company'.
Recently Plavix which is a Brand Name drug usually prescribed for lessening the possibility of blood clotting after cardiac cath to place stents in patients was produced as a generic. All of the health insurance companies and their drug suppliers jumped at replacing Plavix with this generic.
Now there is a Temperary Injunction forbidding this generic from being distributed. What did not occur was the re-call of this generic from the patients who were given it without their knowledge because it became the 'Preferred drug' of choice by the health insurance industry.
Make sure that you know what your doctor is prescribing. Alot of us take for granted that the drug that the doctor prescribes is exactly what they are going to be given.
In fact, this is not the case.
The drug stores and the mail order suppliers substitute the low cost generic because they make more money off the generic being given to you than they do off the Brand Name.
If you wish the brand name drug you MUST insist the doctor put 'DAW' which stands for Dispense As Written. This FORBIDS any change in dispensing of that drug by the pharmacy or the mail order supplier.
As Diabetics we know that our condition is maintained by getting exactly what our endocrinologists prescribe.
Make sure that you make a very good informed choice when he prescribes your medications.
Mel
While we are waiting for the OC WebRing to link me back up, I guess we'll talk about generics vs Brand Name drugs.
My father was a hospital pharmacist. He was the pioneer in Michigan for Unit Dose and prior to his first heart attack he was on his way to being appointed to the Michigan Board of Pharmacy.
One thing that he always drove home to me. The drug companies that make generics are usually small and for the most part are located OUTSIDE of the U.S. and they only maintain a U.S. address to satisfy the FDA requirement that they be a 'U.S. Drug Company'.
Recently Plavix which is a Brand Name drug usually prescribed for lessening the possibility of blood clotting after cardiac cath to place stents in patients was produced as a generic. All of the health insurance companies and their drug suppliers jumped at replacing Plavix with this generic.
Now there is a Temperary Injunction forbidding this generic from being distributed. What did not occur was the re-call of this generic from the patients who were given it without their knowledge because it became the 'Preferred drug' of choice by the health insurance industry.
Make sure that you know what your doctor is prescribing. Alot of us take for granted that the drug that the doctor prescribes is exactly what they are going to be given.
In fact, this is not the case.
The drug stores and the mail order suppliers substitute the low cost generic because they make more money off the generic being given to you than they do off the Brand Name.
If you wish the brand name drug you MUST insist the doctor put 'DAW' which stands for Dispense As Written. This FORBIDS any change in dispensing of that drug by the pharmacy or the mail order supplier.
As Diabetics we know that our condition is maintained by getting exactly what our endocrinologists prescribe.
Make sure that you make a very good informed choice when he prescribes your medications.
Mel
