Re: Concerta vs new Generic Concerta

[Anonymous]

As a pharmacy technician, I know 2 things about the generic version of Concerta, since I’m in charge of ordering, packaging for unit dosing, etc in the pharmacy. 1. The generic version is EXACTLY the same as the brand name right now, at least in the US. They’re both made by the same company. Concerta is manufactured by ALZA Corporation, and is distributed and marketed by McNeil Pediatrics. Concerta is currently protected by a patent that prevents any generic Concerta from being manufactured. The first patent for Concerta is set to expire in 2018. However, due to a legal settlement between two drug manufacturers, a generic version became available in May 2011. Due to the settlement, Watson Laboratories is allowed to sell an “authorized generic” version of Concerta. This means that the original manufacturer supplies Watson with brand-name Concerta tablets, which Watson packages and sells as a generic drug. Therefore, this generic version is exactly like the brand-name drug in every way, other than it being sold as a generic.

Now as for the pharmacist overriding the doctor’s “No substitutes” request, In Michigan and many other states, this is perfectly legal. In Michigan pharmacy practice, the only way a no substitution is valid is if it is written exactly as dispense as written, in the doctor’s handwriting. Printed copies from a computer are not a valid DAW. Pharmacies are not required to consider a DAW that is checked off on a box, or signed on a different line as substitution permissible. The doctor also cannot write medically necessary on the prescription, and expect a pharmacist to fill it as a brand name, however, a pharmacist may call the doctor after seeing that and find out exactly WHY the brand name is medically necessary. After that phone call, the pharmacist can either choose to fill it for the brand or generic depending on what the doctor says. Also, the pharmacist may also override the DAW as a level 3, where the pharmacist selects the drug. Usually this only happens when a brand name is out of stock or unable to be obtained.

As for the “Real Deal” comment, generic drugs are also the real deal. They just cost less, and people don’t like the word generic. I challenge you to find something like motrin 800 brand name at any pharmacy. You won’t find it anywhere, because it doesn’t exist anymore. Ibuprofen is so prevalent now that there is no reason for a manufacturer to make the brand name anymore. Those are my 2 cents (which are correct, by the way)

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