6 ms·

I once took a medication through a skin patch. The same issue: the generic did not deliver the medication consistently at all. The patch was supposed to be repl

I once took a medication through a skin patch. The same issue: the generic did not deliver the medication consistently at all. The patch was supposed to be replaced every three days, so I'd get a huge rush of medication the first day and next to nothing the last day. What was worse was that there were two generics. One was as described, the other actually was fine. The moral, for me, is to be very cautious with generics. I believe most of them are fine (I would never pay full price for Tylenol :), but the more critical the medication is to me, the more research I will do on the generic.

npsimons 14y ago
I'm no expert on this, but just guessing here: have pills been around longer than patches? Perhaps manufacturing pills is better understood/easier to get right, so you are probably safe with generics in pill form, but will want to double-check on generics in any other form.
- refurb 14y ago
  That's very true. Creating an instant release generic is nowhere near as difficult as producing an extended release or transdermal formulation. The FDA recently pulled a 300mg generic bupropion generic because the extended release formation produced nowhere near what the branded medication did. Most generics are equivalent to the branded medication, but there are exceptions out there. http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2012/12/05/fda-pulls-one-generic-form-of-wellbutrin-off-the-market http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2012/12/0...
oxide 14y ago
lemme guess. fentanyl? if so, you're a liar. the generic patches undergo thousands of tests before a doctor ever has one prescribed. sorry to burst your anecdotal evidence bubble. but you are fabricating things.
- DanBC 14y ago
  There are less confrontational, more useful, ways to convey your point than to call people liars. 'Anecdotal evidence bubbles' are fascinating. Try posting links to research about the placebo effect instead of resorting to name calling.
- haldujai 14y ago
  FYI generic testing isn't as nearly as extensive as for new drugs. Also fentanyl isn't the only transdermal medication that exists. It's not even the most common. Nicotine, clonidine, birth control and hormone therapy can all be given in patch format.

npsimons 14y ago

I'm no expert on this, but just guessing here: have pills been around longer than patches? Perhaps manufacturing pills is better understood/easier to get right, so you are probably safe with generics in pill form, but will want to double-check on generics in any other form.

refurb 14y ago
That's very true. Creating an instant release generic is nowhere near as difficult as producing an extended release or transdermal formulation. The FDA recently pulled a 300mg generic bupropion generic because the extended release formation produced nowhere near what the branded medication did. Most generics are equivalent to the branded medication, but there are exceptions out there. http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2012/12/05/fda-pulls-one-generic-form-of-wellbutrin-off-the-market http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2012/12/0...

oxide 14y ago

lemme guess. fentanyl? if so, you're a liar. the generic patches undergo thousands of tests before a doctor ever has one prescribed. sorry to burst your anecdotal evidence bubble. but you are fabricating things.

DanBC 14y ago
There are less confrontational, more useful, ways to convey your point than to call people liars. 'Anecdotal evidence bubbles' are fascinating. Try posting links to research about the placebo effect instead of resorting to name calling.
haldujai 14y ago
FYI generic testing isn't as nearly as extensive as for new drugs. Also fentanyl isn't the only transdermal medication that exists. It's not even the most common. Nicotine, clonidine, birth control and hormone therapy can all be given in patch format.