Comments on: Are Generics Just as Good? http://healthblog.ncpa.org/are-generics-just-as-good/ Health Care Policy and Reform Insights | NCPA Mon, 21 May 2012 13:39:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Linda Gorman http://healthblog.ncpa.org/are-generics-just-as-good/comment-page-1/#comment-37681 Linda Gorman Mon, 28 Apr 2008 16:31:36 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/are-generics-just-as-good/#comment-37681 In cases where drugs have a narrow therapeutic index, generic substitution has been a problem for some time. Participants at a 2001 American Society of Transplantation conference were so concerned about the effects of forced switching from brand to generic immunosuppressive drugs that they called for patients to be educated to inform their physicians of any switch to or among generic alternatives. Other cases in which compulsory generic substitution clearly causes problems include epilepsy and tacharrhythmia. Finally, it turns out that a lot of people have no idea how much variation there can be in a generic that meets FDA requirements. Biologics pose a much more difficult problem. Like so many things in health care, the wisdom of compulsory generic substitution isn't as simple as those pounding the table about waste in medicine would have one believe. In cases where drugs have a narrow therapeutic index, generic substitution has been a problem for some time. Participants at a 2001 American Society of Transplantation conference were so concerned about the effects of forced switching from brand to generic immunosuppressive drugs that they called for patients to be educated to inform their physicians of any switch to or among generic alternatives.

Other cases in which compulsory generic substitution clearly causes problems include epilepsy and tacharrhythmia. Finally, it turns out that a lot of people have no idea how much variation there can be in a generic that meets FDA requirements. Biologics pose a much more difficult problem.

Like so many things in health care, the wisdom of compulsory generic substitution isn’t as simple as those pounding the table about waste in medicine would have one believe.

]]> By: John Goodman http://healthblog.ncpa.org/are-generics-just-as-good/comment-page-1/#comment-37677 John Goodman Mon, 28 Apr 2008 15:16:54 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/are-generics-just-as-good/#comment-37677 <p>The <em>Wall Street Journal</em> has published two Letters to the Editor in response to this topic.</p> <p>See <a href="http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/Generics%20Not%20Same.pdf" rel="nofollow">here</a>.</p> The Wall Street Journal has published two Letters to the Editor in response to this topic.

See here.

]]>