Reply To: Meds considering switch from gen ritalin to focalin xr

[Patte Rosebank]

@Jensters1205, one thing I can tell you about Focalin XR vs. Ritalin, is that sometimes, the extended-release forms of a med are more effective.

This is because they give a long and steady release of the med, without your having to take additional doses throughout the day; and because you only go through one period of “my dose is wearing off” each day.

You’ll need to discuss all this with your doctor and pharmacist.

And remember, meds are never one-size-fits-all, so if you want to find out if Focalin XR will work better for you, you’ll just have to try it, keep a daily journal about how it’s working, and discuss the results with your doctor.

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The main thing to be aware of with generics is that, under the law, a generic can contain anywhere from 10% less to 10% more of the amount of drug in the branded form, yet still be considered an equivalent.  This is a range of 20%, and it’s huge!

Think about it.  You could be on Brand A generic (which happens to have 90% of the dose of the branded form), and your pharmacy changes to Brand B (which happens to have 110% of the dose of the branded form).

And your pharmacy doesn’t have to tell you they’ve switched brands.

Suddenly, your med that used to work so well is making you very jittery and giving you high blood pressure, because you’re now taking a 20% higher dose, but you were never told of this, so you don’t know about it.

Or, if you were switched from Brand B to Brand A, you’d suddenly be on a 20% lower dose, and be wondering why your med is no longer working.

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Another issue with generics is that some of the filler ingredients can include things like lactose.  You can see how this would suddenly cause serious digestive problems for a lactose-intolerant person.

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The third issue with generics is whether or not the delivery system of the med is identical to the delivery system in the branded version.

Health Canada is currently studying the generic version of Concerta, because branded Concerta has a patented osmotic delivery system, and it’s that special delivery system that defines what Concerta is.

However, the generic “Concerta” does not have this osmotic delivery system, so it doesn’t deliver the drug in the same way as branded Concerta does.  Therefore, how could any rational person consider it equivalent to branded Concerta?

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