![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by dondon on October 6, 2005, at 10:54:22
Do generic drugs work as well as brand name drugs or what?
Here some info:
Q-What’s the difference between a generic and brand-name drug?
A-Not much, except for name and price. A generic drug is called by its chemcical name; a manufacturer assigns a brand name. The products have the same ingredients.
Standard practice and most state laws require that a generic drug be generically equivalent to its brand-name counterpart. That is, it must have the same active ingredients, strength, and dosage form—pill, liquid, or injection. The generic drug also must be therapeutically equivalent—it must be the same chemically and have the same medical effect.
Some poeple on here have said that some generics don't work as well as brand name. Some people have said they do so which is it?
Posted by Phillipa on October 6, 2005, at 17:08:18
In reply to generic drugs, posted by dondon on October 6, 2005, at 10:54:22
I think the FDA says they must be equivalent by 20% each way. And sometimes it's the fillers that make the difference. As they are all different depending on the manufacturer. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by 4wd on October 6, 2005, at 22:36:06
In reply to generic drugs, posted by dondon on October 6, 2005, at 10:54:22
> Do generic drugs work as well as brand name drugs or what?
> Here some info:
> Q-What’s the difference between a generic and brand-name drug?
> A-Not much, except for name and price. A generic drug is called by its chemcical name; a manufacturer assigns a brand name. The products have the same ingredients.
> Standard practice and most state laws require that a generic drug be generically equivalent to its brand-name counterpart. That is, it must have the same active ingredients, strength, and dosage form—pill, liquid, or injection. The generic drug also must be therapeutically equivalent—it must be the same chemically and have the same medical effect.
>
>
> Some poeple on here have said that some generics don't work as well as brand name. Some people have said they do so which is it?My pdoc told me that my generic Klonopin might be about 15% weaker than the brand version.
Marsha
Posted by RobertDavid on October 6, 2005, at 23:29:40
In reply to Re: generic drugs » dondon, posted by 4wd on October 6, 2005, at 22:36:06
Being on klonopin for 11 years I asked a lot of questions. My doctor insisted I not take the generic. He said that some days I may be getting more of the drug and some days less as there is a 20% variance unlike brand which would have an affect on how I felt. He said it's not true with all drugs, but with many of them certainly benzos.
Posted by Sebastian on October 8, 2005, at 16:24:31
In reply to generic drugs, posted by dondon on October 6, 2005, at 10:54:22
Generics are not quite the same as the brand name and you never know untill you try the generic. I took Wellbutrin sr for a while and then switched to generic and found the generic different for a while and then I liked it better. But it took a while to get used to the generic. Celexa I took for a while also and then switched to generic and found no significant difference.
So try it and see.
Posted by BowTie Bob on October 11, 2005, at 7:04:57
In reply to Re: generic drugs » dondon, posted by Phillipa on October 6, 2005, at 17:08:18
> I think the FDA says they must be equivalent by 20% each way. And sometimes it's the fillers that make the difference. As they are all different depending on the manufacturer. Fondly, Phillipa
The FDA allows a +/- 20% blood level variance from the branded product. If you take a product that requires narrow blood levels, it could make a big difference, e.g. some of the anticonvulsants.
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.