NEW YORK, April 6, 2007
Generics Could Lower Cholesterol, Cost
Consumer Reports: Two Brand-Name Drugs Now In Generic Form Are Good Buys
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Play CBS Video Video Saving Money On Medication A consumer Internet publication, "Best Buy Drugs," is reminding people that two cholesterol medications are now on the generic list. Dr. Marvin Lipman joins Russ Mitchell to discuss.
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Dr. Marvin Lipman on The Early Show Friday (CBS/The Early Show)
Pravachol, whose generic name is pravastatin, and Zocor, whose generic moniker is simvastatin,
offer potentially attractive alternatives to the brand-name statin drug Lipitor, according to the Consumer Reports Web publication Best Buy Drugs.
On The Early Show Friday, Dr. Marvin Lipman, a professor at New York Medical College and the chief medical adviser to Consumer Reports publisher Consumers Union, pointed out to co-anchor Russ Mitchell that if you substitute one statin for another, your dosage may need to change because potency differs from product to product. But, he added, once that change is calculated, the effectiveness is the same from drug to drug in the statin family.
There may be differences among the drugs as to which one the patient will tolerate best, Lipman says. One potential side effect of statins is muscle pain, and certain patients may have more of a chance of side effects with one than another. But, whether the best-tolerated drug is generic or brand-name does not enter into that calculation.
Incidentally, Best Buy Drugs also names Lipitor among its choices for certain patients, along with the older generic drug lovastatin.
The choice between brand names and generics actually applies to a very wide range of drug classes, Lipman observed. In fact, it's rare when generics are not available. One such group of drugs are the ones taken to maintain bone strength and prevent osteoporosis. The original brand name patents still apply for Fosamax, Actonel and Boniva, so there is no opportunity for savings in that area.
There are patients who insist generics don't work as well for them as the brand name drugs they replace. Lipman says that's not true: The formulations are identical.
Another factor he mentions: Your doctor may not want to switch a patient from a brand name to a generic. Major pharmaceutical companies offer incentives to doctors to write brand-name prescriptions, and doctors may find those inducements difficult to resist.
Lipman notes that generic drugs are widely used. More than half of medications are now prescribed generically. And, depending on whether they're insured, and other factors, consumers can save anywhere from 20 percent to 80 percent if they go generic.
If you want generic, and your doctor concurs, Lipman urges you to shop around. Prices for generics can vary widely from pharmacy to pharmacy. Simply going generic doesn't guarantee the best price.
Questions you should ask your doctor include:
For more on generic drugs, from a branch of the Food and Drug Administration, click here.
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- We are told over and over again that cholesterol is the enemy. For 25 years these same MDs told you to eat magarine comprised of 35% trans fat. The health system is being run by drug companies and the food system is being run by corporations that load you full of trans fat and corn syrup.
There are other scientific opinions about cholesterol and animal fats to extensive for this forum but read the link below if you want to know how trans fat stayed under the radar for so long and what some scientists think about the vegatable oil industry:
http://www.heall.com/body/healthupdates/food/hydrogenatedfat.html - Reply to this comment
- Stating that generics are identical copies of branded pharmaceuticals is incorrect. While they are similar in structure, unless it is an authorized generic from the branded pharmaceutical manufacturer, they are *not* identical.
The generic version is granted approval based on bioequivalency (demonstrating up to 10% +/- efficacy of the branded product) and is not subject to the complex series of clinical trials required for the branded version. These trials include patient data capturing side effects/adverse events. There are known side effect/adverse reactions resultant of the inactives within some generics. An example - adverse events/side effects have been repeatedly reported on generic omeprazole.
Attempting to sell the consumer on a generic over a branded product is the equivalent of selling a consumer on a Geo vs a Cadillac. If you can afford it and are covered by your healthcare plan, go with the Cadillac. - Reply to this comment
- Some patients may indeed notice a difference between brand name and generic products, not because of any difference in the active ingredient but because of a difference in fillers (inactive ingredients), one or more to which they may have a sensitivity or intolerance.
- Reply to this comment
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