Watch your meds!

[Lamont D]

Apparently, my usual aspirin brand got changed, and found out today at the surgery that the government have forced local health authorities and GP surgery managers to use the cheapest brands instead of the ones prescribed by your doctors. My aspirin are enteric coating and I dare not use any others because of stomach problems in the past. The doctor gave me the right prescription because he doesn't want me to mess around with my health and because I'm doing so well.
Has anyone else noticed this happening?

 

[Celeriac]

I'm on enteric-coated aspirin 75mg daily, merely because in 2007 it was best practice for newly-diagnosed T2s. A study showed that coming off it can have a rebound effect and cause strokes within 30 days.

My GP said I could try reducing it, but I got flashes in my eyes which seemed to me to indicate that my blood was thickening and causing damage as BG was fine. So I'm still on it.

I would pay for it myself, it's easy enough to buy cheap enteric coated aspirin, but I want it to be listed on my prescriptions. I don't think it makes any difference which brand, because the drug has been out of patent so long now, that pretty much all of them must be generic.

I do agree though that if you have sensitive stomach, enteric-coated is essential.

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

 

[martsnow]

Apparently, my usual aspirin brand got changed, and found out today at the surgery that the government have forced local health authorities and GP surgery managers to use the cheapest brands instead of the ones prescribed by your doctors. My aspirin are enteric coating and I dare not use any others because of stomach problems in the past. The doctor gave me the right prescription because he doesn't want me to mess around with my health and because I'm doing so well.
Has anyone else noticed this happening?

I have had this problem with numerous medications. I spoke to my pharmacist, and they are forced via the government to dispense "Parallel Imports" or cheap copies as I call them.

You can insist that your GP prescribes the genuine medication. As far as I am concerned the active ingredients in the Copes are the same but they do not have to use the same fillers to bulk up the medication

 

[martsnow]

Apparently, my usual aspirin brand got changed, and found out today at the surgery that the government have forced local health authorities and GP surgery managers to use the cheapest brands instead of the ones prescribed by your doctors. My aspirin are enteric coating and I dare not use any others because of stomach problems in the past. The doctor gave me the right prescription because he doesn't want me to mess around with my health and because I'm doing so well.
Has anyone else noticed this happening?

Below is an exert from the net about these "parallel imports"

Hi all,

Bacause I have an encyclopedic knowledge of useless info in my head, I can answer some of the general answers here. I worked in the pharma industry making tablets for about 1 year and am a chemist by trade (atmospheric, not pharma, but subject was part of many courses I'd taken).

I too have noticed a difference in how some drugs interact and my own case is Co-Codamol Vs. Solphadol (both contain the same amount of active ingredients). Basically all drugs consist of the active ingrediant(s) and the rest (excipients). Excipients are added for many reasons (e.g. making a low-dose pill into something convenient to swallow; dye colourant, etc). My theory is that the makeup of the excipient is the reason why most people notice a difference when switching brands.

One of the most important test for a drug in production is a dissolution test whereby a sample of the batch of tablets is dissolved in body-temperature water to mimic the action of dissolution in the stomach. Excipients called disolving agents (e.g. lactose, maize starch, sodium starch glycolate etc) are key to this timing. So if a generic has got a slower releasing binding agent (as is usual, that's how they can make them cheaper), there is ultimately a lower blood-plasma concentration of the active ingrediant. If the drug is designed correctly, it will have a optimum point in the GI system where it should be disolved to yield maximum effect in patients (called the 'Therapeutic Window'

. Generics can sometimes miss out on this window (as a disgusting example one of my controlled-release drugs is often whole in my poo the next day; whilst it shouldn't be!).

Hope this is understandable and that if you've got an issue with a generic I'd suggest you talk to your pharmacist about it's dissolution agent.

Annonymous..

 

[Celeriac]

Having a good relationship with your pharmacists is really important IMO. They can advise on drugs, on best cold remedies that are sugar free, do medication checks so you know that the drugs GP prescribes don't clash, order stuff for you if they don't have it e.g. Ketostix, give you your flu jab.

There are supply problems with Glucophage SR (Metformin SR) sometimes and you may get a generic e.g. Bolamyn SR. I've not had probs, others may be more sensitive.

I don't blame the NHS at all for trying people on generic drugs first, the actual drug part should be the same, even if different fillers are used. The NHS drugs bill is huge and lots get wasted by patients who don't take what has been prescribed.

After all many of us buy own brands not the brands to save money.

Having lived in Canada, I can tell you that the NHS prescription charges are peanuts compared to the actual price of many drugs.

But of course, anyone with diabetes being treated with drugs should get an NHS exemption card - you should get a form from the practice. Mine didn't tell me about so I was shelling out for months !

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

 

[Lamont D]

Because of my condition, I can't take a lot of meds, because of what ingredients are in them, even enough lactose can be bad for me!

I can't take flu or cold remedies because of the amount of sugars on top of the rise I get in having said flu or cold!

Fun eh?

 

[Robbity]

I had some issues with one brand of metformin, discussed with our pharmacist, and she's noted this on my records, so it's definitely worth discussing concerns over medication with them. (She as well as my GP does medication reviews with us.)

Robbity

 

[SunnyExpat]

Below is an exert from the net about these "parallel imports"

Hi all,

Bacause I have an encyclopedic knowledge of useless info in my head, I can answer some of the general answers here. I worked in the pharma industry making tablets for about 1 year and am a chemist by trade (atmospheric, not pharma, but subject was part of many courses I'd taken).

I too have noticed a difference in how some drugs interact and my own case is Co-Codamol Vs. Solphadol (both contain the same amount of active ingredients). Basically all drugs consist of the active ingrediant(s) and the rest (excipients). Excipients are added for many reasons (e.g. making a low-dose pill into something convenient to swallow; dye colourant, etc). My theory is that the makeup of the excipient is the reason why most people notice a difference when switching brands.

One of the most important test for a drug in production is a dissolution test whereby a sample of the batch of tablets is dissolved in body-temperature water to mimic the action of dissolution in the stomach. Excipients called disolving agents (e.g. lactose, maize starch, sodium starch glycolate etc) are key to this timing. So if a generic has got a slower releasing binding agent (as is usual, that's how they can make them cheaper), there is ultimately a lower blood-plasma concentration of the active ingrediant. If the drug is designed correctly, it will have a optimum point in the GI system where it should be disolved to yield maximum effect in patients (called the 'Therapeutic Window'

. Generics can sometimes miss out on this window (as a disgusting example one of my controlled-release drugs is often whole in my poo the next day; whilst it shouldn't be!).

Hope this is understandable and that if you've got an issue with a generic I'd suggest you talk to your pharmacist about it's dissolution agent.

Annonymous..

Never thrust the net.
Never trust people that can't spell pharmaceutical.