[PAA-Discuss] Fwd: The Los Angeles Times - Generic drugs are safest when not needed

Sun Jun 26 02:02:37 EDT 2011

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From: Vince Boehm <vince_19805 at yahoo.com>
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Sent: Sat, Jun 25, 2011 10:04 am
Subject: The Los Angeles Times - Generic drugs are safest when not 
needed

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latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-generic-drugs-20110624,0,5484443.s
tory
latimes.com
BOOSTER SHOTS: Oddities, musings and news from the health world
Generic drugs are safest when not needed
By Chris Woolston, HealthKey / For the Booster Shots blog
2:19 PM PDT, June 24, 2011

Advertisement

Generic drugs have long held an unusual place in the world of medicine. 
They have the same ingredients, the same power to treat and the same 
potential to harm as brand-name prescription drugs. But they’re sold 
under different names at bargain-rate prices. They’re often 
manufactured overseas, making them visitors that live under their own 
set of rules.

Now the U.S. Supreme Court has given these drugs a sort of diplomatic 
immunity. In a 5-4 split -- with the conservative wing on the winning 
side -- the court ruled that patients can’t sue makers of generic drugs 
for complications or side effects not listed on labels. The labels are 
also essentially copies and, the reasoning goes, the burden lies with 
the brand-name firms.

The case involved two patients who developed tardive dyskinesias -- a 
condition that causes involuntary movements of the tongue, lips, hands, 
feet and other parts of the body -- after taking a generic version 
(metoclopramide) of the heartburn drug Reglan. 

When you can get your antidepressants or your blood-pressure medication 
for the price of a latte, you just might forget that you’re taking 
actual medicine. But generics are the real deal. Studies suggest that, 
on the whole, they have the same effects -- good and bad -- as 
brand-name medicines.

For example,  a review article of 47 studies published in the Journal 
of the American Medical Assn. in 2008 found no meaningful differences 
between brand-name heart drugs (such as the blood-thinner Coumadin, the 
diuretic Lasix and the beta-blocker Toprol) and their generic copies.

But acting like a prescription drug isn’t always a good thing. As 
another study, published as a JAMA letter in 2006 found, switching from 
Coumadin to warfarin, the generic version, didn’t seem to lower the 
risk of major bleeding, including hemorrhagic strokes.  

Now that the Supreme Court has made its decision to protect 
manufacturers of generic  drugs, it’s a good time to remember: Whether 
it’s a brand name or a generic, medications can be risky. The Agency 
for Healthcare Quality and Research estimates that “adverse drug 
events” seriously injure or kill more than 770,000 Americans each year 
-- and that's just in the hospital.

If you suffer a complication from a generic drug, obviously you 
shouldn't expect much help from the courts.

Your best alternative is to avoid trouble in the first place. If your 
doctor prescribes a medication, ask about possible serious side 
effects, including those that aren’t listed on the label. Know the 
early symptoms of a bad reaction. And check with your doctor to make 
sure that you aren’t taking more medications than necessary.

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