So we have a generic strattera in Canada now (as of the last month or two?)

[Fochaosed]

For my refill 2 weeks ago, I had to pay the difference as our insurer will now only cover the generic. It’s made by Apotex. I paid this time since my dose was upped, I want that to be the only change in order to monitor side effects,etc. My plan is to switch next time since this should be my permanent dose (cf any weight loss). I always prefer to support the maker, but wth this med being so costly, we just can’t afford the increase out of pocket.

I don’t suppose anyone else is on it yet? Any difference in SE ?

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[dspicelady]

My daughter’s refill last week was generic. Absolutely no difference so far on the side effects.

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[dartmouthkittykat]

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[Anonymous]

I’m interested to hear about this as well. I’ve so far been very lucky not to have to pay out of pocket but I know I will eventually and the doctor is concerned particularly about the dosage being equivalent.

Does anybody know what the cost difference is at this point?

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[Anonymous]

How do you avoid paying for drugs in Canada ? BC charges drugs and the drugstore’ gouge fee, the only way

i know of is to pay for a drug plan with an employer… any other means? I’m 60 and see no discounts at all here.

thks

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[Anonymous]

Actually the doctor has been giving me samples for a year and half, he told me that he’ll do it as long as he can but there is no guarantee and now that there is a generic he expects the samples to stop. I’m self employed and was heavily in debt so I had no way to afford those pills over that time period. My productivity is a lot higher now and things are coming together so there is a chance I might be able to pull it off now on my own.

I know I can get them from India or Iran but again the doctor isn’t thrilled about that idea again mainly becuase the dosing with Strattera is quite sensitive and a + or – 20% difference can be a big problem.

Just to give you some idea of what drugs cost over there, I take Propecia for hair loss, in Canada it’s about $70/month where as from India it’s about $80/year for exactly the same medication and it works fine.

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[Anonymous]

Well I just bought 5 capsules of 100mg generic Stattera (to make it till my next appointment) and it was $37 instead of $43. At that price I wish there wasn’t a generic at all so the doc could still get samples from Eli Lilly and people could still get on the compassion program etc.

Do the price of generics come down over time?

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[Fochaosed]

So,

I’ve been about 3 months on generic now. Nothing to report! i.e. seems to be working just as well.

The difference in 100mg caps is about $1 each (I’m in Ontario)

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[Anonymous]

Do you find that at 100 mg, you are noticing an improvement? Im on 80 and nothing as yet.

BC offers no drug coverage for Straterra, the generic is mostly the same .. some variation in dose strength

according to psych and pharmasist, 30 tabs of 80 mg are $240. is horridly high price.

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[Anonymous]

I’ve been on Strattera for almost 3 years now, the recent release of the Canadian Generics has forced me to have to pay out of pocket for the first time as the doctors are no longer receiving samples.

Observations on Generic Stattera so far:

I’ve found the Canadian Generics by Apotex and Teva work O.K. by my own observations switching back and forth between Lily and other brands the Apotex in particular is noticeably stronger and must contain a different set of inert ingredients as it very reliably causes a weird upset stomach if I take it without food. The Teva Generic seemed not to be significantly different in dose or effect.

I also tried the Indian generics Axepta (By Intas) and Attentrol (by Sun Pharma).

Attentrol which comes in capsules similar to the Canadian products seemed noticeably lower in potency but when I compensated by about +%20 it seemed to be roughly equivalent.

Axepta (By Intas) comes in a “Film Coated Tablet” which is unlike any of the others but I’ve been on it a month now and it seems to be about the same as the Lilly product in terms of potency. This seems to be the brand most of the more reputable online pharmacies seem to stock. Unfortunately I’ve not found any that will ship it directly to Canada so I’ve had to ship it to the states and drive over the boarder to get it.

I don’t want to appear to favor or recommend any particular online pharmacies, and your doctor will not be able to formally recommend you buy these drugs online, however I’ve found the site parmacyreviewer dot com to be very helpful in determining which sites are reputable before dealing with them.

The per pill cost online is roughly 70 cents Canadian per 60mg pill.

The retail per pill cost on the ground in India is closer to 25 cents Canadian.

At least here in Toronto, the Canadian generics cost about the same as the Eli Lilly originals $6-8 per pill.

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[Fochaosed]

Well there’s some good news…

I found out today picking up my refill that Lilly has a program for buying Strattera wherein they pay the difference in cost from the generic. The phramacy gave me Strattera instead of generic. Our insurer got billed the same amount as before; Lilly got billed the difference, and I paid the same as usual. The card and info I received refers to rxhelp.ca

It looks to me like it’s a third party which connects/directs you to programs offered by the various manufacturers. Maybe it’s the name brand drug companies’ who banded together and created this? I suspect it was the pharmacy’s doing that I was enrolled.

lurknessmonster said: “At least here in Toronto, the Canadian generics cost about the same as the Eli Lilly originals $6-8 per pill” How can there be such a difference? At the pharmacy I use in Ottawa, for 100mg, it costs $5.67/$5.68 for Strattera ($4.90 for Apo). $8 for that in Toronto??? That’s 30% more! Is it a fancy boutique pharmacy or a pharmacist who does house calls??? LOL

Anyway, I am curious to see whether I notice any positive change now in going back to the original. I’ll post back in a few months.

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[Patte Rosebank]

Beware of ALL online pharmacies!

You cannot be certain of whether or not the pills are authentic or counterfeit. Also, by purchasing them without a valid prescription from the jurisdiction in which they are being dispensed (i.e., where the pharmacy is located), you may be violating laws.

You also run the risk of having the pills confiscated at the border, and criminal charges for illegally importing them.

If you want to save money on prescriptions, your best bet is to find out if the manufacturer has any sort of co-pay program. I know that the maker of Strattera and the maker of Concerta both have plans which are free to sign up for, and which pay the difference between what your drug plan (including your provincial drug benefit plan, such as Trillium, in Ontario) pays and the actual cost of the drug. When I was on Concerta, Trillium and the manufacturer’s co-pay plan ensured that I didn’t pay a penny for my Concerta.

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[Robbo]

I wonder if anyone has been prescribed Stattera who is on medicare? I’m thinking of trying it. Just don’t want to get my hopes up only to find out it’s not covered and I can’t afford it. It’s more true to say that It’s not that valuable to me. The Wellbutrin I take is doing well, might be enough. I’ve chose not to try more than a couple, maybe 3 meds. Most of learning to live with ADHD, depending on how it affects each of us is just that, learning to live with it. Including the limits medications have.

I’m fairly sure that the methyfenidate is not working any more. It’s especially weird that I can drink coffee at the same time as taking this generic ritalin and not feel like I’m having WAY TOO much stimulant. Not fun… Kinda like a panic attack. I haven’t had a panic attack since I was about 8, waiting for my dad, who always waited for what felt like an eternity before he spanked my ass.

Anyone out there in the US who is on medicare?, is generic Strattera covered? if not, how much is it?

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[Author]

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