People's Pharmacy

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Generic Drugs Save Money But Do They Save Lives?

Posting Date: 07/19/2004

The record of this experience on her monitor makes it harder to dismiss as mere coincidence. Others have reported problems with certain anticonvulsants:

?My mother went on Dilantin in August, 2003. In September she was admitted to a rehab hospital. Her neurologist told them to give her only Dilantin, not a generic substitute.

?Later that month, she had four grand mal seizures and was taken to the emergency department at the hospital. When I got there she wasn't expected to make it. The ER doctor told me that he did not think my mom had even had her Dilantin the past few days because her level was so low.

?The next day I learned she had been given generic phenytoin instead of Dilantin for the last few days. I am convinced that is why she suffered seizures.?

The FDA does not always respond to such reports. Will the agency ignore health professionals such as a nurse who works in a Coumadin clinic serving 3,000 patients? She reports that patients who are switched to generic warfarin often need more medication and are harder to stabilize.

We are all in favor of people saving money with generics, when they work. But we are interested in hearing from people who have had difficulties. You can email your story to pharmacy(AT SIGN)mindspring.com or write to People?s Pharmacy, Dept. Generic, P. O. Box 52027, Durham, NC, 27717-2027, and we will send it on to the FDA.

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Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist. Teresa Graedon holds a doctorate in medical anthropology and is a nutrition expert. Their syndicated radio show can be heard on public radio. In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of this newspaper or e-mail them via their Web site: www.PeoplesPharmacy.org.

2004 King Features Syndicate, Inc.