Where has all the medicine gone?

[cpvh]

Had a prescription from the Dr.... Pharmacy (thankfully in the same building) said nope, it?s long term unavailable and they substituted (or got the Dr to substitute) annidentical but differently named drug.

Went to collect my wife?s prescription and they had made a substitution for one of her inhalers for the same reason (substitute was a haler she?s allergic to!)

Anyways,

What?s it all about? Is this just conincidence or is it an e Something to do with the fact that we are in the countdown to Brexit/No Brexit?

[Andy Bennet]

My Pharmacy - which is in the surgery - does it all the time with my prescriptions. I don't think I get the same set of named packets from month to month. They just seem to shop around for the cheapest generics at the time. Have done for years - bugger all to do with brexit! just good cash control I guess.

[Scott]

I believe there has been a change in the rules to allow the pharmacy to substitute a generic drug for a branded one, with the aim of saving money for the health service.

Typically this will happen when the branded product comes off patent.

I don't follow your second sentence, as my understanding is that the generic must be the same. I would check with the pharmacist.

[Bob Eager]

It's happened to me on three occasions now, stretching back five years. They usually said "production problem".

The latest one was a tube of Fucibet (fusidic acid eye ointment). The substitute was chloramphenicol, which works but is less effective for me. I seem to need some about once or twice a year for an infection.

[Brian Gaff]

Who knows. Being blind I like to keep to the same generic as the shape and feel of the pills cannot get mixed up with others I take. Last time they sent me a replacement, only they never told me, well it was probably written on the label. Not a lot of good for me, and I had to actually get a sighted person to check the things as it was a totally different shape and feel. I spoke to the pharmacy at the time and they said that the nhs has widened its specs for generic drugs recently to keep supplies going more regularly and to always be able to get the cheapest, but that they should always be the same drug. It worries me about the inhaler though, as this is an important consideration to have borne in mind and should be on the patients notes, but somebody obviously missed it. Brian

[charles]

but they aren't exactly the same. My dentist discovered (or rather I did) that only one of the generic injected anaesthetics worked on me.

[Pamela]

On 16:13 21 Dec 2018, Bob Eager [e-mail] wrote in news: [e-mail]:

I didn't think a pharmacist was allowed to substitute a different medicine.

[Terry Casey]

I thought the NHS banned the precribing of drugs by a manufacturers trade mark when the same drug is available from several manufacturers under its generic title at much lower prices many years ago.

E.g: Paracetamol - not Panadol.

My prescription changed from Zirtec to Cetirizine Hydrochloride for the same reason.

If your doctor knew about your wife's allergy, the second substitution should not have been made and a strong complaint is in order.

[Jim GM4DHJ ...]

As long as I get my FK506 I don't care....

[Bob Eager]

They didn't. I had to drive a 13 mile round trip for a replacement prescription.

[Bob Eager]

I've since discovered that I can get a chloramphenicol based eye ointment over the counter for about a fiver. More expensive than a prescription, but factor in the wait for an appintment (it was a weekend) and the cost of fuel etc. and it's not so bad!

[Tim Streater]

About the same for me. I keep a month's worth of pills in reserve, too, so that if there's any delay or replenishment falls over Xmas or whatever, it doesn't matter if I'm a few days behind in re-ordering.

[Steve Walker]

I wonder if they can get away with doing it with Chloramphenicol, as it was made an over the counter treatment some years ago?

SteveW

[Steve Walker]

I think it can still be done, particularly as some generic versions can differ very slightly from the brand ones and some people have problems with that. Otherwise, yes, generic items should be prescribed.

Mine from Telfast to Fexafenadine Hydrochloride.

SteveW

[cpvh]

Cheers all, my wife did another electronic prescription request and told them of their error and the result is they have booked her a medication review in the new year.

Just to clarify, with mine the Dr had to do a different prescription, took a little while, but at least I just had to wait in the same building.

[Bob Eager]

I do that too. This was a sudden occurrence of the infection, and in fact I didn't even see the GP when I initially called for an appointment. I spoke on the phone, told him about the eye infection, said what I needed, he checked his notes and wrote the prescription (which I then collected). Even quicker when I rolled up for the replacement.

[tabbypurr]

Online is far cheaper for prescribed vet products, probably is for human ones too.

NT

[spuorgelgoog]

Only if it's a private prescription (which all vet prescriptions are). The NHS prescription fee is fixed regardless of the cost of the drug.

And NHS prescriptions are free in Wales and Scotland, and in England for under 16/18, over 60s, people on income-related benefits, and people with a medical exemption certificate including diabetes, epilepsy and cancer.

The maximum charge for prescriptions in England is £2 a week if you can buy a prepayment certificate at £104 for the year.

Owain

[Bob Eager]

Yes, I found that good value. I bought a one yaer one but after four months my GP wrote to me about a new rule that had just come into force; free for those recently treated forcancer. I sent it back and got eight months' worth of refund.

[Scott]

Are you sure it was a generic formulation of the same product, and not a different anaesthetic? My understanding is that 'generic' means the same as opposed to 'substitute' or 'alternative' which could be different.

As an example, you could argue because a generic painkiller is not as good as co-codamol it must be because it is generic but this would be wrong with the true reason being that it is not generic co-codamol.