Prescription for a branded medication UK

[kaosisallwesee]

I recently picked up a prescription for a family member and noticed instead of "Co-codamol 30/500" it was for a specific brand and read "Zapain (by advanz pharma)". I found this odd so spoke to the pharmacist about it. Because that specific brand was listed she wouldn't be able to issue anything but that brand. Any idea why the prescribing doctor would issue a script like this rather than the generic medication? According to the patient thats just the was its been since moving to a different GP.

 

[F.U.B.A.R.]

I recently picked up a prescription for a family member and noticed instead of "Co-codamol 30/500" it was for a specific brand and read "Zapain (by advanz pharma)". I found this odd so spoke to the pharmacist about it. Because that specific brand was listed she wouldn't be able to issue anything but that brand. Any idea why the prescribing doctor would issue a script like this rather than the generic medication? According to the patient thats just the was its been since moving to a different GP.

Probably getting 'incentives' from Advanz...

Funnily enough, almost the opposite happened to my son the other day. He's got a repeat for generic sertraline, but last time he filled it they gave him branded Lustral, which I thought was a bit odd.

 

[Forever Changes]

as long as it's from a legit high street pharmacy they should be OK. Most prescription meds are generics

 

[dsd]

Like the other poster said, sounds like the doc gets paid for it.
Why write a unknown brand name when everyone in the UK goes by co- codamol.

Really hard to get strong painkillers here.
My 76 year old mum was given co- coda for a busted shoulder.

 

[Irastas]

For some reason (I am in UK) since moving from a chain to an independent pharmacy I am now dispensed branded Roche Rivotril - imported from Spain since Roche withdrew it from Britain - & Pbarmacia & Upjohn (Pfizer) Xanax.
Normally, since à Govt directive c. 7 yrs ago, one would expect the cheapest generic (another facet of the Tories spending less and less on the NHS and making many excellent brands disappear from the market due to "lack of sales")
Some of these cheap generics I have found to be much less effective than my previously dispensed brands. Thank God OxyContin is still precisely the same tablet as always - though the poor USA have to put up with the dreadful "OP" version (yes, I tried a few, swapped with a similar sufferer in Iowa). I would say the US generic m/r oxycodone are vastly superior to the brand by NAPP/Mundipharma/Purdue.
My previous doctor always prescribed "Xanax tabs (Pfizer) 1mg tds" rather than "alprazolam." And "Rivotril tabs (Roche) 2mg tds rather than" clonazepam."
Now I'm getting scripts stating generic names being filled by original brands.
See any rhyme or reason??