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Sunday, November 8, 2009

The dangers of generic drugs

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Matt and I bonded over biking. He's back on the road and I say: Stay safe out there! No more crashes.

I hope all you active women got outside. I did, for a long and fun bike ride to the orchards about 40 miles north of New York City. I bought mini pies there to bring home to the family, since they looked so natural and home-baked.

Everywhere I go, people tell me they saw me on the Today show last week, talking about the dangers of certain generic drugs.

Now I don't want anyone to be alarmed about a generic pain med or something that you can save money on OTC, but if you're on a specific Rx and you have a reaction to the generic, we at SELF want you to know you can ask your M.D. to write a prescription for the brand-name drug and insist on being offered that.

Don't avoid all generics. Just follow these rules.

Your pharmacist and the insurance company can switch you off the brand name, it turns out, without telling you.

For some antidepressants, antiseizure meds and acne meds, among others, this can make a huge difference and you can have side effects. Read all of "Bad Bargains: The Dangers of Genetic Drugs" here. The experience of working on an investigation for months with the writer Katherine Eban and our news and health features director, Sara Austin, became that much more edifying when the FDA admitted to SELF that they just don't have the resources to inspect all the generic manufacturers, stateside and overseas—so it's buyer beware. Kudos to the SELF team for the story, and a special shout-out to Katherine who just welcomed her new baby girl, Isobel, into the world last week.

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Comments 1-7 of 7
  • Rowdygirl's Avatar
    Posted by Rowdygirl Tue Jun 2, 2009 10:16am PDT

    I read the article about anti-depressents possibly being ineffective when they're generic. I'm on Prozac and wondered if it could have the same problem. I checked my rx information online to see what the price difference is if I decide to move from generic to name brand. I now pay 1.23 per month for my rx. yes... One dollar and 23 cents. The non generic, name brand version,(Prozac) would be 102.00 per month. There is no way I can afford to go from paying 1.23 to 102.00.

    If my generic isn't working as well as the name brand, I'll have to live with it.

    I'm starting to think this is a ruse to get people to switch back to name brand. Why is the generic version available if it isn't safe?

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  • kittiemack's Avatar
    Posted by kittiemack Tue Jun 2, 2009 10:46am PDT

    This is a bunch of b.S. There is nothing wrong with generic drugs. They are chemically the same. They are just as effective. The only difference between generic or name-brand, and there are sometimes several different name brands as of the same drug, are the fillers they use. I have worked in hospitals, drs offices and a pharmacy. If you are allergic to anything, it is the fillers. This is just a bunch of crap to scare people into giving more money to the drug companies.

    If you are allergic to the fillers in one, then try something else. There are tons of drugs that work on the same areas of the body. It's a process sometimes to find the right one for you. Don't let the drug companies confuse you. They just want your money.

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  • Rose's Avatar
    Posted by Rose Tue Jun 2, 2009 12:45pm PDT

    I agree with kittiemack 100%!

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  • Raynie8's Avatar
    Posted by Raynie8 Tue Jun 2, 2009 2:38pm PDT

    Kittiemack is incorrect when it comes to hormone prescriptions like for the thyroid. Many Drs. are now saying this. The generics can be inconsistant between the different companies making them. Name brand gets you the same thing every time. Not to mention many people have reported doing better on name brand then on the generic when it comes to thyroid medication as well as reporting less side effects when it come to birth control pills.

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  • kittiemack's Avatar
    Posted by kittiemack Tue Jun 2, 2009 4:03pm PDT

    If people do better on the name brand, then more power to them. I still stand behind what I said. Even name brands can have inconsistencies of up to 20 percent of the medication on anything you take. That doesn't mean they're allergic to it. It's the fillers, not the meds that is most of the problem. some people are allergic to certain meds anyway. Those are the people that should request a different drug. There is no difference chemically between generics and name brands. Raynie needs to do more research.

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  • Sage's Avatar
    Posted by Sage Sat Jun 6, 2009 8:18pm PDT

    --Suicide prevention: National Suicide Prevention Hotline
(800) 273-TALK (8255)

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  • Joan's Avatar
    Posted by Joan Thu Sep 3, 2009 1:10pm PDT

    Generics are the worst thing I ever did. I took generic fenale hormone for 4 mo after taking name brand for years. I am all messed up- dizzy- tired- no matter what the cost of name brand don't do it!

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