There was some discussion recently about different batches of drugs causing different side effects so I thought I would talk to my mate at the pharmacy when I collected my December party bag (Have you got yours organised?) . It seems that in MOST cases the manufacturer (generic or specific) makes no difference and it is a question of what stock is available. The one very important exception , however, is Diltiezem which was the drug in question . There are different formulations of this, with normal and modified/slow release and he told me that he always provided Tildiem Retard if the slow release version was prescribed. Adizem is not quite the same apparently. He assured me that in Lloyds at any rate, cost was not the driver, merely what the wholesaler has in stock in most cases. Our pharmacy is in the same complex as the medical centre but my repeats which are supposed to take max 72 hours often take much much longer, the last one taking nearly a week and a half and then I had to wait for it. When I was on zoladex as it costs about £80 a month they NEVER kept it in stock and always had to order it in. My understanding is that this is a cost saving measure so that should I die one month they are not left with unwanted items. Similar reason for only allowing one months supply at any one time. They won't give you three months in case you are hit by falling space debris and waste all that valuable stock. Don't you just love accountants?
Bob
PS just reminded of the Golgafrinchams in Hitchikers G to the U. A planet where all the accountants and phone sanitisers were sent as advance party to another world having been told that their own planet was about to be destroyed. LMAO
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BobD
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Bob I am in Oz and it seems that like in other countries the pharmacies are pushing the generics. In my case I have had adverse reactions to generics and now insist on having only the 'real' thing. I have spoken to GPs and specialists who have told me it is the 'fillers' they use in generics that cause my reactions. So I have to say I am not one who is convinced that they are exactly the same.
Absolutely I had such a bad reaction to a generic prednisilone I had a car accident. So I am very careful about what I take and always ask the Dr to write down the actual drug not the generic name for it.
Got to disagree with your pharmacist Bob with me and Propafenone. It works on me in terms of AF, but I get different side-effects depending whether I take Arythmol or Accord. No real problem with Arythmol, but Accord for me was not good and my EP's secretary "witnessed" the result.
But my pharmacy was the same as yours and just got what was available. I had to insist on Arythmol which they found difficult to do, but they did get it eventually for me, after a lot of huffing and puffing .
Interesting. I had a variety including Rhytmonorm and Arrhythmol and only ever had the same side effect but never had accord . Metallic taste in my mouth. Personally I can't see why different makes would have any different effect since they all contain the same drug and at the same strength and since fillers are usually inert such as corn starch then why would they change? I'm not saying they can't, merely that for most people it should make no difference. Interestingly I just looked at two boxes I have and one is branded Arrhythmol on the box but the blisters are marked Rhytmonorm whilst the other is in an unbranded box but contains blisters marked Arrhythmol. Strange or what?
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