All of us who have a chronic illness have been faced with the decision to have a medication filled as the doctor prescribed or buy a generic equivalent. Many times when doctors write a prescription, they check a box that allows for a generic equivalent of the drug to be prescribed. A generic equivalent of a drug is supposed to be the same drug made by a different manufacturer usually at a cheaper price.
But does the generic equivalent allows work exactly like the originally prescribed drug?
A recent article in the NY Times, “Not All Drugs Are the Same After All”, discusses this issue.
According to F.D.A. rules, the new generic version must “have the same active ingredient, strength and dosage form” as the brand name or reference product.
The article provides a good discussion about whether or not this means that the generic equivalent works the same way as the prescribed drug when used in treatment of a patient’s symptoms.
From my own experience, results using generic drugs have been mixed. In recent years, most of my physicians have allowed for generic equivalents for the drugs they prescribe.
Some physicians may lean towards using the prescribed drug but they are assured by studies given to them by pharmaceutical representatives that the generic equivalent is safe and effective. They don’t have time to stop and think that these studies are done by the manufacturers and it is in their best interest for the studies to show that generic equivalents are equal to the originally prescribed drugs.
Also, many insurance companies refuse to pay for the more expensive “brand name” drug. These factors give the doctors incentive to prescribe generic equivalents.
I first noticed that there might be a problem with taking a generic equivalent when I was prescribed Cipro by my doctor for a urinary tract infection. At that time Cipro was expensive and I didn’t have prescription insurance so I opted for the generic equivalent. I took the medication as prescribed but after 10 days I still had symptoms of a urinary tract infection.
I made a follow-up appointment to see the doctor. He had ordered a urine culture and sensitivity which shows specific bacteria and which drugs are likely to be the most effective in treating the infection. He scratched his head and told me that the Cipro should have worked.
He looked at my chart and saw that I had an allergy to sulfa drugs. Antibiotics with sulfa are used often for treatment of urinary tract infections.
He told me that he couldn’t but me on sulfa and some of the other antibiotics that he might consider I had problems taking them in the past due to stomach trouble. The doctor said Cipro should have been the target drug for me.
Then he asked me, did I take Cipro as prescribed or did I choose to take a generic equivalent. I admitted that I had taken the generic equivalent in consideration of cost of the medicine.
He suggested I “bite the bullet” and pay for the Cipro as prescribed. He explained to me that generic equivalents do not always work as well as the original drug because the manufacturers are allowed some variations in the way they make the generic equivalent.
After taking the new prescription of Cipro for three days, my symptoms disappeared and I finished taking the medication as prescribed by the physician.
For the most part, generic equivalents have been satisfactory in treating my symptoms.
When I first began to develop my complex regional pain syndrome, my primary care physician prescribed Percocet. The pharmacy filled the prescription as Percocet. I took it as prescribed and it did help to relieve my pain.
Because of ongoing pain problems, I was admitted to the hospital and was seen by a doctor who was a pain management specialist. He ordered some injections of various medications and for the first time in a long time my pain was under control.
He suggested that I see him after I got out of the hospital. Unfortunately, when I called to make an appointment, I was told that he did not have an opening for a new patient for three months. They offered to make an appointment with a doctor who had just joined the practice.
He came in to see me and I talked to him about new medications the other doctor had suggested I might try. He explained that he was hesitant to give me any narcotics for pain relief. I asked him if could at least give me Percocet because it had helped decrease my pain in the past. He said he would increase the dosage of Percocet, allow me a larger quantity and that should help my pain.
After I received my prescription at the pharmacy, I discovered that it was a generic equivalent. I didn’t think much about it because I had taken many generic equivalents.
After a few days of taking the medication, I did not obtain the same relief from pain that I had previously even though the dosage was higher and I was able to take the medication more frequently. Also, the new medication made me sick to my stomach although the original Percocet had only made me feel slightly nauseated.
I called the doctor back a few times but he refused to give me anything else for pain.
I didn’t remain under the care of this physician for much longer. I do think that the generic equivalent didn’t work as well as the original Percocet.
These problems I have had using generic equivalents have not stopped me from using them. For the higher priced medication that I take, if a generic equivalent is available, the insurance will refuse to pay for the prescribed “name” medication.
Using generic equivalents has usually not posed a problem for me. There have been a few instances that a doctor wrote a letter to the insurance company because he or she insisted that I have the medication as prescribed.
When doctors do this, there is usually a good reason for it such as they have had past experience with less than optimal results for patients taking the generic form of the drug. Doctors do not like doing paperwork so for them to go out of their way to write a letter to an insurance company regarding non-payment for a certain prescription drug means that not receiving that medication is having an impact on the patient’s recovery from symptoms.
For the past two years, I have had a continuing problem with my Fentanyl medication because my insurance company refuses to pay for the expensive Duragesic brand name.
The problem is not with the Fentanyl itself but with the adhesive in the patch. Pharmacies usually offer at least of couple of generic brands for Fentanyl. The Mylan patch is a smaller patch that contains Fentanyl. The Fentanyl is not distributed in a clear pouch like the Duragesic brand. It is coated in the Mylan patches.
Some patients prefer Mylan patches because they are smaller and because of the way the Fentanyl is distributed in layers of the patch, the patch can be cut so the user under a doctor’s supervision is able to cut the patch down to a smaller dose. This gives people who are trying to reduce the amount of Fentanyl they are taking the advantage of decreasing the dosage in smaller steps than are provided for with the regular strength of patches. For instance someone who is taking 75 mcg. patch and needs to reduce their dosage with the Mylan patch they do not have to go all the way down to the next available lower dosage patch which is 50 mcg. They can cut the patch under supervision from their doctor to a lower dosage that is higher than 50 mcg.
I have never been in the position to need to lower my dosage. I was given the Mylan patch by a pharmacy twice because that was the only brand they had in stock and in the hospital once because it was the only brand they had in stock. I did not like the Mylan patches.
I wear the patches on my back and the patches did not stick as well nor did they provide the amount of Fentanyl delivery to my system that I was accustomed to.
For many years I have used the Sandoz generic Fentanyl patch without any problems. It is similar to the Duragesic patch with the clear pouch.
A little over a year ago, Sandoz changed something regarding the adhesive for the patch. After that, I started having trouble with itching, redness and irritation at the patch site.
I tried wearing the patches in different locations but due to fat stores because of recent weight gain, the Fentanyl was being stored in the fat and was not being delivered at the same rate to my blood stream. I had increased pain and withdrawal symptoms.
So my husband has had to become aggressive about making sure ever bit of adhesive is removed from my skin after taking off a patch and we have had to change the placement of my patches more to the side.
Some may consider this only a small inconvenience but any inconvenience causes more stress which as you know leads to more pain and other problems in someone with a chronic illness.
I hope this post has provided some issues for you to think about when you choose whether or not to use a generic equivalent that may help you in receiving optimal care for your condition. Always consult your doctor before you make any decision on changing medication.
I am dying 
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