Generic Meds

[juice]

I was always under the impression that generic meds had to be made up of the same products?

My BT has dry eye, and i use Optimmume, however at $95 a tiny tube that only lasts 4 weeks i was looking at getting it cheaper.

I found a place overseas that i could buy it for $18 a tube with a script, so bought 4.

On the Optimmume her eye's were always perfectly clear,but since starting this generic tube ( didn't read the small print on the site which said it would be a generic brand ),her eyes are not as good, i have had to use double the dollop i used of Optimmume.

The generic one is far more runny, Optimmume was a solid clear gel.

So, has anyone else had experince with generic?

I will be ordering Optimmume from another site with a script, more money ( $38), but still cheaper than here.

[minimax]

A generic would probably be okay, if it was from Australia. I usually wouldn't trust overseas medications.

[juice]

Hadn't thought of that, it came from a Canadian company, but then read they sourced meds from Asia.

[SchnauzerMax]

In Australia, generics have the same active ingredient but can differ in the formulation of the tablet or liquid, so the generic looks different to the brandname version.

Also, some generics contain gluten as a binder which is a problem if you are gluten intolerant or coeliac.

Outside of Australia, I would be very wary.

[Chezy]

I don;t think OS have the same restrictions we do

my girl has no tear duct , I use lacrilube , which is a gel and it works well, 2 tubes cost me about $20-

[LisaCC]

As SchnauzerMax said, Generics have the same active ingredients but the formation can differ. My own medication I never get in generic because they are huge giant tablets and the generic brand doesn't have any coating on it so they stick to your tongue/throat.

[juice]

I have just eamiled them about it not being as good.

I also emailed 2 other US company's to see if theirs are genuine Optimmume or generic too.

So much for trying to save some money, looks like the 4 tube's i bought are no good.

[Xyz]

I have just eamiled them about it not being as good.

I also emailed 2 other US company's to see if theirs are genuine Optimmume or generic too.

So much for trying to save some money, looks like the 4 tube's i bought are no good.

Could you try putting the tube in the fridge for 10 mins before applying, might thicken it up a bit without irritating the eye?!

[juice]

I got a load of waffle back about how they randomly check generic meds.

Unfortunatley the other 2 US places won't accept a script from an Australian vet.

[ellz]

I don't think ALL generic meds are "created equal".

I use Panadeine Forte a lot and have found that none of the other brands work the same (or as well) which meant that a normally controlled migraine would end with a trip to A&E for "the big guns" (ie pethidine and Largactyl).

For that reason, I also don't buy generics for eyes or ears if they can be avoided.

[temperamentfirst]

I have found that the generic meds don't work as well, except for the chemists brand of panadeine.

Discussed it with a friend who used to be in charge of a major drug company lab. She told me I wasn't imagining it, as the drug is often only a small aprt of the pill or liquid and the 'inert' substances can have quite an impact on how the drug is absorbed. She said she never uses generic drugs for this reason. Our regular chemist has all our files marked as non generic.

[*kirty*]

Juice, have you looked into getting cyclosporin drops made up instead? We compound them at work and its much cheaper than optimmune.