4 ms·

>I sometimes just go to a non-chain pharmacy just so I can get the brand I want. Is this for drugs or something else? Generic drugs are regulated by the FDA an

by learc83 11y ago

>I sometimes just go to a non-chain pharmacy just so I can get the brand I want. Is this for drugs or something else? Generic drugs are regulated by the FDA and have to be completely identical to brand name drugs.

542458 11y ago
The medical ingredients are identical. Everything else may or may not be. You might want children's medication in a given flavour, or the "fast acting" delivery mechanism that may not be available in the generic format.
Tenhundfeld 11y ago
Not OP but I see it for many different types of items. Think bandages, ankle wraps, mouth wash, antacids, OTC pain relievers, etc. You might say that antacids and OTC pain relievers are drugs, and that's fair. But there are other concerns besides the active ingredients. For example, I might prefer the taste of Tums to CVS brand. Or for a personally-true example, I used to find the CVS brand ibuprofen gelcaps to have a funny, sour smell that I didn't notice with Advil. (I don't notice that anymore.) Or my grandmother used to buy a specific brand of some contact lens cleaner (can't remember which), because she found the top much easier to open. The point is it's not always about the efficacy of the drug; sometimes it's about the overall experience.
conductr 11y ago
I've noticed this issue too. Some people prefer to use a brand like Tylenol instead of the store brand acetaminophen. But the store will just not keep the Tylenol stocked to force you to by their brand. They are both the same acetaminophen. However, I do notice that with some meds the store brand isn't an equal because they don't make the gel tabs I prefer (because it's more fast acting than the chalky white tabs), specifically talking OTC allergy meds
willglynn 11y ago
Bioequivalence and pharmaceutical equivalence are different. It's true that generic drugs have the same active ingredients in the same dosage and form, and they're tested to have the same general absorption characteristics. This does not necessarily mean that a brand drug and its generic version are completely identical. For example, many patients prefer Synthroid (a brand-name synthetic thyroid hormone) over levothyroxin (its generic equivalent). The inactive ingredients sometimes affect how a drug's active ingredients behave within an individual, and these are allowed to differ between brand and generic drugs. This usually doesn't matter; most of the time, brand drugs and their generic versions are close enough. However, generic drugs aren't exactly just a different label on the same medicine, and the differences can be clinically significant. Thus, the medical world has the ability to specify "dispense as written" on prescriptions and on the corresponding insurance claims.
- mkhalil 11y ago
  I think you meant: "generic drugs aren't* exactly just a different label on the same medicine"
  - willglynn 11y ago
    Fixed.
- cmdrfred 11y ago
  FDA doesn't seem to make this distinction. They print "FACT: FDA requires generic drugs to have the same quality and performance as brand name drugs." in bold type here[0]. Perhaps 'dispense as written' is better put as 'dispense in a way that I get some sweet pharma kickbacks'. [0]http://www.fda.gov/drugs/resourcesforyou/consumers/buyingusingmedicinesafely/understandinggenericdrugs/ucm167991.htm http://www.fda.gov/drugs/resourcesforyou/consumers/buyingusi...
  - willglynn 11y ago
    Agreed; my point is that the FDA doesn't make that distinction. The FDA's definition of "same performance" is close, but it's not always close enough. (I once worked on a system that had to special-case pricing for Synthroid specifically because the FDA-approved generics aren't quite the same to a lot of people, and I ended up marrying someone who gets moody when the pharmacy gives her generic Synthroid by mistake.)
    - cmdrfred 11y ago
      Perceived reputation, color and packaging plays a big role in perceived drug efficacy[0], I wonder if a double blinded trial would show the same results you have seen anecdotally. [0] http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/10/the-power-of-drug-color/381156/ http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/10/the-power-...
      - willglynn 11y ago
tmaly 11y ago
I mean for more OTC stuff like bandages, lotions, etc.

by learc83 11y ago

542458 11y ago

The medical ingredients are identical. Everything else may or may not be. You might want children's medication in a given flavour, or the "fast acting" delivery mechanism that may not be available in the generic format.

Tenhundfeld 11y ago

Not OP but I see it for many different types of items. Think bandages, ankle wraps, mouth wash, antacids, OTC pain relievers, etc. You might say that antacids and OTC pain relievers are drugs, and that's fair. But there are other concerns besides the active ingredients. For example, I might prefer the taste of Tums to CVS brand. Or for a personally-true example, I used to find the CVS brand ibuprofen gelcaps to have a funny, sour smell that I didn't notice with Advil. (I don't notice that anymore.) Or my grandmother used to buy a specific brand of some contact lens cleaner (can't remember which), because she found the top much easier to open. The point is it's not always about the efficacy of the drug; sometimes it's about the overall experience.

conductr 11y ago

I've noticed this issue too. Some people prefer to use a brand like Tylenol instead of the store brand acetaminophen. But the store will just not keep the Tylenol stocked to force you to by their brand. They are both the same acetaminophen. However, I do notice that with some meds the store brand isn't an equal because they don't make the gel tabs I prefer (because it's more fast acting than the chalky white tabs), specifically talking OTC allergy meds

willglynn 11y ago

Bioequivalence and pharmaceutical equivalence are different. It's true that generic drugs have the same active ingredients in the same dosage and form, and they're tested to have the same general absorption characteristics. This does not necessarily mean that a brand drug and its generic version are completely identical. For example, many patients prefer Synthroid (a brand-name synthetic thyroid hormone) over levothyroxin (its generic equivalent). The inactive ingredients sometimes affect how a drug's active ingredients behave within an individual, and these are allowed to differ between brand and generic drugs. This usually doesn't matter; most of the time, brand drugs and their generic versions are close enough. However, generic drugs aren't exactly just a different label on the same medicine, and the differences can be clinically significant. Thus, the medical world has the ability to specify "dispense as written" on prescriptions and on the corresponding insurance claims.

mkhalil 11y ago
I think you meant: "generic drugs aren't* exactly just a different label on the same medicine"
- willglynn 11y ago
  Fixed.
cmdrfred 11y ago
FDA doesn't seem to make this distinction. They print "FACT: FDA requires generic drugs to have the same quality and performance as brand name drugs." in bold type here[0]. Perhaps 'dispense as written' is better put as 'dispense in a way that I get some sweet pharma kickbacks'. [0]http://www.fda.gov/drugs/resourcesforyou/consumers/buyingusingmedicinesafely/understandinggenericdrugs/ucm167991.htm http://www.fda.gov/drugs/resourcesforyou/consumers/buyingusi...
- willglynn 11y ago
  Agreed; my point is that the FDA doesn't make that distinction. The FDA's definition of "same performance" is close, but it's not always close enough. (I once worked on a system that had to special-case pricing for Synthroid specifically because the FDA-approved generics aren't quite the same to a lot of people, and I ended up marrying someone who gets moody when the pharmacy gives her generic Synthroid by mistake.)
  - cmdrfred 11y ago
    Perceived reputation, color and packaging plays a big role in perceived drug efficacy[0], I wonder if a double blinded trial would show the same results you have seen anecdotally. [0] http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/10/the-power-of-drug-color/381156/ http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/10/the-power-...
    - willglynn 11y ago

tmaly 11y ago

I mean for more OTC stuff like bandages, lotions, etc.