What ABOUT Generics???
Find a Conversation
What ABOUT Generics???
| Mon, 04-26-2004 - 6:44pm |
So what are your opinions of generics? I know OTC recently came out with a generic, and so did Cyclessa (I am on that right now, a triphasic pill).
So here's the thing - the pharmacists said that it contains the same amount of active ingredients... I always heard that generics had to have at least 80% of the active ingred. I would hope it would be 100% for the active ingredients, but when my friend went on OTC's generic she totally broke out and had weird side effects she never had before.
Anyone else experienced different symptoms switching to generic? It's super cheap, but I just started the pill a little under 2 months ago and want to let my body get used to it.
Thoughts ladies?
Are generics as effective too? I have heard conflicting arguments on this one...

Pages
I am on Mircette and chose NOT to use the generic although it would have saved us $25 a month. (My insurance charges $10 for generics and $35 if you chose not to use the generic when one is available.)
I had a nasty time adjusting to the pill in the first place, so for me it was not worth it to go with generic...but for others this may not be their preference. I just know that I didn't want anything less than the "best" I could get when it came to BC (not the kind of thing you want to "oops" on.) But then again, I don't really know what the literature says about generics. I just didn't want to take the risk.
If you are thinking of switching to the generic, I would consider doing it soon since you've only been on the non-generic for 2 months...this might offer your body a better experience in getting used to the generic since it hasn't had that long on the non-generic.
Hope that helps!
Andi in NY
Hope that helps
Best of Luck
Ann
This is what the U.S. FDA has to say about generic drugs:
Generic Drugs: Questions and Answers
http://www.fda.gov/cder/consumerinfo/generics_q&a.htm
Therapeutic Equivalence of Generic Drugs Letter to Health Practitioners
http://www.fda.gov/cder/news/nightgenlett.htm
Even though the FDA requires Therapeutic Equivalence some women will notice a difference (not in effectiveness but in side effects) between some generics and their brand equivalents.
Good luck
Jill
I just worry... :-)
$5.00 for Ortho-trycyclen and $25.00 for the generic on Aetna HMO. What is really weird though is at the Walgreens where I pick up my prescription, they ALWAYS say "generic o.k.???" to which I originally said yes, until I found out about the price difference ! They make is sound like ... 'is generic going to be o.k., we are out of the name brand ...'
When questioned about it they always say, we are SUPPOSED to ask if you would like generic in that way... Maybe Walgreens Corporate can explain that one.
Anyway - Generics are NOT the same and never have beeen. I have friends in the pharmacy biz, and generics meet the minimum requirements, but are not completely identical to the name brands. The percentage of ingredients and quality do not have to be exactly the same they must only meet the minimum requirements set forth. With something like birth control ... I'm not willing take any kind of a gamble.
I think they should stop pushing all this generic crap and let the public know that generics are not the exact same item without the name brand.
<>
Maybe you don't like generic drugs, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with them. They are required BY LAW to have the same active ingredient content. Other fillers may be different, which is why some people can't tolerate them. Don't know what your friends in the pharmacy biz told you, but they're wrong.
Anyway, alot of people feel this way. I worked at a pharmacy and people always had questions when they take generics. Some of the companies who produce name brand drugs also produce generics.
Pages