Pharmacy question - can I request a different manufacturer?

[ScoobySnax30]

I had to switch pharmacies because of my insurance and when I filled my script for my Oxy they had a brand I had never seen before (114's). Maybe it was mind over matter but I felt like I didn't get the same relief I do with the M's, A's or V's. I realize pharmacies may only carry one manufacturer at a time but is it possible to request a different brand? Does it look weird if you do this ?

 

[jammin83]

you can request the pharmacy to carry specific generics to fill your script but usually you just have to find a pharmacy that has the brand you like. you can request brand name most places but your insurance might not cover it. don't think they go for requesting specific generics, just fill with the ones they have.


I used to have to find the pharmacies that the good orange adderalls and not the pink ones. wal mart ended up being my spot. just have to do the hunt and make some calls.

hope this helps. : )

 

[Fentanylbliss]

I've always been able to request whatever brand I wanted for whatever med. now I request actavis brand fentanyl patches and they pharmacy always gets them in for me. You just need to ask and most places will do it. At least that's my experience.

FentanylBliss out

 

[deos68]

guess it depends on if you're paying out of pocket or if the insurance is paying for it
out of pocket you can request whatever you want
insurance on the other hand they usually only pay for generic unless you haggle with them and say maybe you dont respond well to a generic...which can happen
i didnt do well with generic ativan but responded well to non generic and my insurance covered it YMMV

 

[Karbon1991]

Just curious. Do you feel some brands are of higher quality and/or purity?
I kind of feel the same about my zopiclone pills. Once I had some small/medium sized blue round pill with a G on one side. They always seemed to do the job "better" atleast imo anyway. And my Tramadol always feel a little more clean (for lack of a better word) when I get the actavis ones.

 

[deos68]

Just curious. Do you feel some brands are of higher quality and/or purity?
I kind of feel the same about my zopiclone pills. Once I had some small/medium sized blue round pill with a G on one side. They always seemed to do the job "better" atleast imo anyway. And my Tramadol always feel a little more clean (for lack of a better word) when I get the actavis ones.

you can do well with either brand name or non generic brand name tends to be high quality but that comes with a price tag
people often dont respond well to generic due to the fillers they add

 

[Kittycat5]

I had to switch pharmacies because of my insurance and when I filled my script for my Oxy they had a brand I had never seen before (114's). Maybe it was mind over matter but I felt like I didn't get the same relief I do with the M's, A's or V's. I realize pharmacies may only carry one manufacturer at a time but is it possible to request a different brand? Does it look weird if you do this ?

You can but let me say a few things about why this isn't always a good idea. First and foremost, requesting a specific manufacturer on a controlled substance is one of the so called red flags the DEA says may be indicative of abuse or diversion. This alone may prevent you from getting your script filled. Second, some of the big chains have eliminated their pharmacy staff's ability to order anything other than the one brand they have chosen for controlled drugs either entirely or with making them jump through so many hoops, it isn't worth the pharmacist's time to do so. And last, a smaller chain or especially an independent pharmacy may be hesitant to order one generic brand over another because it may lose them money. You see, every contract with the wholesalers include preferred brands that either are cheaper or the pharmacy receives a rebate on or both. Using any other brand may be less profitable or even cause a loss.

I always say take whatever brand makes you feel best. An unused drug has no chance of helping the patient, and if they feel that one generic works best, I recommend sticking with it. But I am also fully confident that 99% of these cases are a placebo/nocebo effect and there is no difference among the various brands even if they use different inactive ingredients. But just be aware that requesting one brand over another may delay you getting your script filled in a timely fashion.

 

[belligerent drunk]

^ I never understood what the deal with the brands was. If it isn't something explicit, like a certain modification of the method of delivery of the drug, then what's the difference? I always go for the cheapest possible for my stuff, because in the end it should contain the same amount of the active substance.

 

[Kittycat5]

I agree. But as a pharmacist, my number one duty is to get my patients to take their meds and I learned a long time ago that trying to convince someone who already has decided that it was the different brand that is causing them issues is all in their head, is futile.

 

[belligerent drunk]

Can't argue with that. I just wanted reassurance for my thinking from a person who most likely knows more about it than me!

 

[Karbon1991]

because in the end it should contain the same amount of the active substance.

I agree. I suppose the placebo effect of a certain brand name has a big part to play in this. A friend of mine tells me sometimes when he takes Tramadol capsules that are in a clear tray, are bright yellow one side and a bold dark green the other. He feels they work better than, the duller coloured ones from a tray that isn't see through. This has to be purely down to placebo surely? Because IMO in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry, 50mg of Tramadol is 50mg of Tramadol isn't it? This isn't street bashed gear were talking about here, if it were any less than 50mg I'm sure it would not be lawfully aloud to be sold as anything other than the weight it actually is. I suppose this is where higher grade/higher purity comes into play? Or perhaps all pharmaceutical manufacturers have the same purity?

 

[belligerent drunk]

I agree. I suppose the placebo effect of a certain brand name has a big part to play in this. A friend of mine tells me sometimes when he takes Tramadol capsules that are in a clear tray, are bright yellow one side and a bold dark green the other. He feels they work better than, the duller coloured ones from a tray that isn't see through. This has to be purely down to placebo surely? Because IMO in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry, 50mg of Tramadol is 50mg of Tramadol isn't it? This isn't street bashed gear were talking about here, if it were any less than 50mg I'm sure it would not be lawfully aloud to be sold as anything other than the weight it actually is. I suppose this is where higher grade/higher purity comes into play? Or perhaps all pharmaceutical manufacturers have the same purity?

You'd have to wait for Kittycat's response, as he's familiar with the pharmaceutical business first-hand. However, I think you're right and I've always thought the same way. The regulations set in place are such that the product must contain the active substance within a certain range of mass. Usually it's somewhere around 1% variation at maximum, which should be completely unnoticeable to the user. No brand would have "higher purity" such that it'd mean there's more of the active substance. If it says 5 mg, then it is 5.00 mg +- 0.01 mg. Higher purity could only mean that it's more precisely 5 mg, for example 5.000 mg +- 0.002 mg. But that doesn't mean it's stronger.

The only difference I could see is the inactive part of the pills. In terms of how fast it breaks down in the stomach and how fast the drug is absorbed.

 

[ScoobySnax30]

I want to thank everyone for the responses. I filled my script yesterday and I didn't say a word about it. I didn't want to raise any red flags so I took what they gave me. Like I said in the OP, I'm sure this is all mind over matter and I don't like it as much because it's not what I'm used to. thanks again!

 

[jammin83]

I know that they say your not supposed to feel a difference and most I don't but there is def some difference in some pills.

I swear I could tell the difference between a couple adderall brands blind. Not sure why. Some opiates too.

Glad everything went well op

 

[deos68]

I for one can confirm generics and non generics depending on the med,can be night and day
Some people do in fact have allergies to fillers and other shit
Guess my allergies to certain dyes is bullshit huh?
You dont ask for brand name, but you simply request for non generic

Don't see how asking for non generic will send up a red flag to the DEA lol

And in all reality DEA will not step in and do shit
Unless your asking for pills every week and camping at where you get prescription filled
Simply put if your displaying drug seeking behavior

Finding out what works, meds wise is a turtle race for many of us
Why would DEA step in and deny you medication?

 

[deos68]

I know that they say your not supposed to feel a difference and most I don't but there is def some difference in some pills.

I swear I could tell the difference between a couple adderall brands blind. Not sure why. Some opiates too.

Glad everything went well op

Trust me it's not a placebo effect

 

[Kittycat5]

I for one can confirm generics and non generics depending on the med,can be night and day
Some people do in fact have allergies to fillers and other shit
Guess my allergies to certain dyes is bullshit huh?
You dont ask for brand name, but you simply request for non generic

Don't see how asking for non generic will send up a red flag to the DEA lol

And in all reality DEA will not step in and do shit
Unless your asking for pills every week and camping at where you get prescription filled
Simply put if your displaying drug seeking behavior

Finding out what works, meds wise is a turtle race for many of us
Why would DEA step in and deny you medication?

Well allergies to an excipient and the drug not working are two separate things, arent they? I am not denying one can be allergic to an inactive ingredient, but that in nearly all cases, generics are indeed equivalent to one another.

And the DEA will not go after patients in cases like this but they can and have arrested and charged pharmacists that do not comply with their rules. This scares the shit out of many pharmacists, as even if they do not wind up going to jail, their license, and thus their livelihood, will be suspended or revoked. So many pharmacists will not even consider filling a script for a controlled substance if any of the red flags the DEA says to watch for occur.

And if you think I am lying about asking for a specific manufacturer being a red flag, just google it. The first thing that pops up is a pdf file. Read it. But I have been told this directly by my local DEA agent as well. It no doubt is something that pharmacists are expected to question.

 

[Dresden]

To the OP,

Yes, you can request a different manufacturer from from your pharmacy, but they'll probablt have to order it, which is going to take at least one extra day. And no, it doesn't look weird at all.

 

[Kittycat5]

And no, it doesn't look weird at all.

I beg to differ, but what do I know. It's not like I have been in the retail pharmacy business and worked for one of the biggest chains that at one point the store I was managing was in the top 5% of their 7000+ stores in regards to amount of CDS scripts filled and had multiple visits and interactions with the federal and state regulators. Oh wait, that is me.

Look, for the most part you probably will not have much of an issue in requesting a different manufacturer. But I already explained several reasons why this may delay you filling your script and make your life more of a hassle. I did not even mention the fact that plain oxycodone is one of the drugs that the DEA and most pharmacists are aware that is popular to abuse and thus under more scutiny. Also, pharmacists talk. Within a chain, they can flag you if there are any hints of possible abuse or diversion so the whole chain can see. Some pharmacists even go as far as calling all local stores that they do not work for in order to alert them to a possible problem patient. And unfortunately, many in my profession are either zealots when it comes to controlled drugs and give everyone a hard time or are so scared for their license and job that they will not fill scripts, valid or not.

I still stand by both my statements that take whatever brand makes you happy but also that generics truly are equivalent. And here is the link to the DEA powerpoint that mentions asking for specific brands, especially with using slang is a red flag.

http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/mtgs/pharm_awareness/conf_2013/march_2013/carter.pdf

 

[Karbon1991]

I got my Tramadol today. The ones I prefer with the clear tray and cold coloured caps. Made by Bristol Laboratories.

I think my pharmacy must just take whatever brand they can get their hands on first. I also think my pharmacy would think I was odd if I requested a certain brand, because as previously mentioned the regulations are in place so all brands should theoretically be the same.

Who knows. I'm happy I got my preferred brand anyway.