The Forums › Forums › Medication › Methylphenidate Generic › Generic replacements › Re: Generic replacements
Funnily enough, I took my first prescription for Concerta to my local pharmacy, yesterday afternoon. They didn’t have the generic version, and Trillium only covers about half the cost of the branded version of drugs for which a generic alternative exists. The head pharmacist said, “Wait a minute, I think there’s something that can help you.” She dug out a card from a little box on her desk, entered it into the computer, and voila! I got my brand-name Concerta, at no cost to me. And since the card details are now on my record in the pharmacy’s database, I don’t need to have the card in my hot little hand (or, more likely, lost in whatever “important” place I’d put it) to reap the benefits.
After reading the information on your blog, I now REALLY appreciate being able to get the branded version of this drug. I’ve literally just started on the lowest dose (18mg), and I’ve only felt a very slight benefit so far, so I expect the dosage will need to be increased. But it already seems to be more effective than the generic Ritalin I’d started with when I was first diagnosed. Before starting the Concerta, we had increased the Ritalin to 30 mg, and had some benefit, but it only lasted for about 3 hours. I suspect it would have been more effective if it had been the branded, rather than the generic version.
I also really appreciate this extra thing my local pharmacist did for me. The pharmacy is in my local supermarket, and doesn’t have all those propaganda posters telling me to stop the government from ending the kickbacks (oops, sorry, “rollbacks”) for stocking generic drugs. That’s why I go there instead of to the big chain stores that display the propaganda. I highly doubt that the pharmacist at the big drugstore I used to go to, would have done this for me.
REPORT ABUSE