I find this subject to be very interesting...My doc has told me numerous times about generic vs brand name telling me to not get the generic because it doesn't work as well, but I've found no difference in the medications. I did however find differences in brand name medications from different companies. I had to get the same medication from a different drug store that used a different company to fill my Fentanyl medication and without me realizing it was different I started getting back pain which eventually got worse until I stopped it and switched back and miraculously the pain went away with my old pharmacy and drug company. This doesn't make any sense to me, but it definitely happened to me without me knowing I was using a different drug company.

I'm interested if you notice any difference but you really need to have someone not tell you what they're giving you so you don't psych yourself out thinking one way or the other for it to be the most accurate.

I did not know that about generic. I have heard they work just as good but are cheaper. Good to know.

Actually, the generics only have to be 80% the strength of the brand name. It used to be that the pharmacies had to ask you if you wanted to try substituting generic...now, they automatically give you generic and will charge you more UNLESS your doctor specifies BRAND NAME ONLY on the script and YES, it DOES make a difference!

MY INSURANCE DOESN'T PAY FOR BRAND NAME. I HAVE EVEN FOUGHT WITH THEM ABOUT IT. EVEN WHEN MY DOCTOR SAID I NEEDED THE BRAND NAME I HAD ISSUES WITH MY INSURANCE. BUT I MUST SAY THE GENERIC SEEMS TO WORK FOR ME. LET US KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.

Hi I as well have heard it both ways?? Not sure what to think but it sure woould be good to know for sure whatswhat??
Please some one that know a web site that my clues us in Maybe??
Let us know
Wayne

i asked for the brand name one time, and they told me no it has to be generic, unless the doctor specify's on the RX, i even said i would pay the difference and they said no, so i went to my doctor and asked for her to write as prescribed and went back and they said they didnt even carry it, they would have to order it and it would take 5 days, which i know it dont they just didnt want to give me the brand name

well, i went to the pharmacy and they dont even carry the brand name percocet, she said i'd have to go to a hospital pharmacy,so i filled it, but not watson. we'll see if this one works better, i just know that the brandname perc they gave me in the hosp a month ago worked well

I find this to be true with most the medications I have taken. Well, except the fentynal patch started out as generic for duragesic. But even the antidepressant are different. Back when I had insurance I paid for the non generic. Now, I get the luck of the draw.

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=46204

here is a link on this, I don't agree with what it says, but......parts make sense.

Generics come about when the original patent on the name brand is ending....therefore the reason for generics being cheap is no research goes in the copycat meds.

I still think they are inferior medication myself. but......

Well, I too have been wondering about this and I thought there was a difference. I have heard from Pharmacists that there IS NO difference. Well thats not true. The fillers might be different...( and this is the run around I would get- "oh its just the fillers that are different") all the rest is exactly the same. BS. The difference is the Bioavailability... they have to come within 80% of the "Brand name" and they can say its the same. I get so mad because I have been told this over and over ( that its the same drug)but its not- I mean...if there is a chance that you are geting 20% less of a drug... thats alot of medication thats NOT getting in your system. I have even had them look at me like, what are you a dumbshit? They would say they are the same drug... and you would be stupid not to get the LESS expensive Generic drug.
My wonderful Dr. told me the truth when I asked HER about this... and she said that the Pharmacy will even get a "kick back" for giving out the "GENERIC" drug. So... there it is...thats why they give it to you, with out asking now. I have even had them "flag" my records at the pharmacy over and over again and they STILL slip the Generic drugs in there. GRRRR...
OH... and to top it off...this one NEW pharmacist gave me the generic version of a drug and I told him I didnt want the generic... and he said "well you ALWAYS get the Generic." He told me I was wrong when I told him. He argued with me over and over and still told me I was "wrong."

They are NOT the same ... so there. **raspberry** ** raspberry**

I thought they were the same..But according to medicinenet.com they are..So, IDK? i take msir which is morphine sulfate instant release, but i have noticed my methadone made by watson is different than the mallincrofdt one. So who knows, cant win for losing..

We< my husband and I, have friends who are pham techs....the medication ONLY has to be 80% the strength, who ever wrote that the fillers are different in the different brand generics, is right too- some people have had allergic reactions to some of the different fillers. Insurance WON"T pay for brand name unless you have the doctor write brand name only on your scripts and it's important to use the same pharmacy all the time- they can order your medication and make sure that they have enough on hand each month at time for fill up. My husband was on the fentanyl patch and he matabolizes this medication quicker than most people. With the brand name patch, we could see the medication and had some warning when the medication was getting low, with the generic- all is was was a cloth patch- he said they was a huge difference in strength as well. Since we didn't want to go up on our meds we asked the doctor to give us script with brand name on them- it really helps. This medication field is such a racket! Have a great day! xoxoLyn

Lady Fair, some doctors get kick backs for prescribing certain med, was this practice called............oh yeah, perks.

hi i heard it not the same, i cant get the web site copy on here but msn health are talks about the gen and brand. just look it up. that where i got my source, but my reg insurance wont pay so it cost too much or i would... angel

I have to chime in here. My step-daughter worked in a pharmaceutical company that made generics. The drug dosage is strictly and highly controlled and has to be IDENTICAL to the brand name. The fillers and binders are different and sometimes affect the bioavailability of the drug to some people. For some people, the generic is better than the brand name because their bodies can break down the drug more easily.

The FDA states, "Scientists measure the time it takes the generic drug to reach the bloodstream. This gives them the rate of absorption (or bioavailability) of the generic drug, which they then compare to that of the pioneer drug. The generic version must deliver the same amount of active ingredients into a patient's bloodstream and in the same time as the pioneer drug. Brand-name drugs are subject to the same bioequivalency tests as generics when their manufacturers reformulate them."

So the 80% rule also goes to a max of 125%. So that means that at least 80% of the drug has to hit the system in the same time as the brand name and up to 125% of the drug can hit the blood stream in the prescribed amount of time. BUT, the generic has to have the exact same amount of the active ingredient, so it just may take longer to take effect.

To me it is no different than buying store brand sodium hypochlorite versus Clorox. Same active ingredient, I'm just not paying tor the brand name. So far, (KNOCK WOOD), I've never seen a difference between brand name and generic drugs.

Melody

The biggest problem is not with the active ingredient, but with all the other stuff that goes in -- fillers, binders, colors, etc. Those can cause reactions in people who are sensitive.