9 October, 2007

National Prescribing Service Limited (NPS) issued a statement today advising that in some special instances, switching to a generic medicine is not recommended. Research shows that 91% of consumers know about generic medicines and of those up to 79% would consider using generic prescription medicines in the future.

NPS CEO, Dr Lynn Weekes said “a generic medicine is safe to use and will work the same as your original brand when it has been tested to be bioequivalent and your doctor says it is safe to switch.”

Dr Weekes advises switching to a generic medicine may not be possible for a small number of medicines if bioequivalence has not been established; if people are on multiple medications and may get confused; or for people on critical dose medicines.

Switching to a generic medicine is not safe when:

• bioequivalence has not been established
• people are on multiple medications and may get confused
• people are on critical dose medicines

Bioequivalence means the medicine has been rigorously tested by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) to ensure the generic medicine has the same effect in the body as the original brand name medicine. “Some medicines, for example Warfarin, which is the name of the active ingredient, the two brands Coumadin and Marevan are not interchangeable and therefore are not bioequivalent generic medicines,” Dr Weekes said.

If a person is likely to become confused because of a change in the appearance of a medicine or packaging, particularly if they are taking multiple medicines, then switching brands would not be in that patient’s best interest.

“A few medicines are what we call ‘critical dose medicines’, such as warfarin, cyclosporin and digoxin, where the smallest change between brands may affect the ability of the medicine to work the same,” Dr Weekes said.

In many cases the inactive ingredients in a medicine, for example coatings and binders, are different from the original brand. The different inactive ingredients have no effect on how the medicine works, so most people don’t have to worry about them. However, they are significant for people with exceptional sensitivities or allergies to particular substances such as gluten, lactose or preservatives.

“It is best to talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you are thinking of switching to a generic medicine,” Dr Weekes advised. “Ask if there is a bioequivalent generic medicine available and if it will work the same for you.” Consumers can also call Medicines Line 1300 888 763 to speak to a pharmacist.

For people over 50, who are more likely to be on multiple medications and may want to know more about medicines, including generic medicines, we recommend attending free medicines information sessions. NPS works in partnership with Council on the Ageing to deliver the sessions nationally and bookings can be made by calling their State or Territory offices.

ENDS

National Prescribing Service Limited (NPS) is an independent, non-profit organisation for Quality Use of Medicines funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.