My venting started three days ago and still running around in my head. Many years ago i had an accident through no fault of my own and was suitably compensated but the injury lingered to this day,..nothing serious but unpredictable,..a back injury,..i can do about everything from sports to lifting heavy weights,..but after sitting for a long while then move suddenly,..the brain does not reach the legs or back as it should to tell it to move and i pull a muscle,..painful and stuck to the spot. Difene capsules were prescribed,..they worked very well to relieve pain,..after pulling a muscle,..but nothing for the actual problem,..after some time i was taken to hospital with tummy problems and they discovered that the Difene had made small holes in my tummy lining,..so Losec tablets were prescribed,..no more tummy problems,..no matter what i ate. On the 23rd of this month i went to the pharmacy to collect my Losec,..didn't notice i was given a substitute tablet,.. ,..read the instructions and it seemed to be the same as the Losec,..took one and lo and behold that night i had reverted to how i felt two years ago,..took a second tablet,..no help at all. Visited the Pharmacy yesterday and asked did they make a mistake,..no they said we were instructed to use a cheaper substitute to save money???. It seems our Irish Medical Board and our Department Of Health have decided to have an interchangeable list,..to use lower priced medication,..known as generic substitution,..so the Pharmacy make this change even though they do not know the patients illness,..nor do the Medical Board or the Department of Health and replace the medication the Doctor has prescribed,..the Doctor being the only one who knows what medication or Brand of medication suits the patient,..now i got that off my chest,..and of course wrote to the Medical Board and Court Of Human rights,..it will be interesting to see the outcome.
Oh, Philip, sorry the generic meds have caused you such troubles. That can happen here too, but most pharmacies ask if a generic is okay and the patient can refuse it. Sometimes the Doctor allows the generic and it goes badly but they can change to the brand name.
I'd be booking another appointment with your GP Philip if I were you. Tell them exactly what those generic medicines are doing to you and get put back onto the Losec tablets. A pharmacy should dispense exactly what is on a prescription and never replace it without, firstly, your doctors and your permission. :-x It's all very well for the Irish Medical Board and our Department Of Health to try and save money but in the long run these generic meds actually COST them more. I hope your letters to the Medical Board and Court Of Human rights get a good response. Do let us know the outcome and meantime, stop taking those substitute tablets.
That is reason to vent! I think medications are something that shouldn't be messed with, EVER. The thought that they gave you a substitute and said nothing is VERY disturbing to me. Maybe it's time to find a new Pharmacist?
I agree.... see your doctor... find a new pharmacists! Hope it gets settled soon and that your letter helps someone in the future.
I like Eileen's advice of going back to GP & discussing the situation with him. On this side of the pond, a letter from the physician can get the right medication approved. Good luck with this. BTW have you tried yoga for your back issues?
Forget the pills and try the Whiskey..... I understand what you are talking about. I get a substitution one time and get hives from the off brand stuff. Turns out they all have other things in them. I am allergic to something in one off brand. Made me much much sicker than what I was being treated for. That's for sure.
How terribly inconvenient to have them think they know what is best...especially if you are paying for it, not them, but still the generics are well known for their "not quite the same" a the name brand rx. too bad you weren't asked if it was an acceptable substitution. We have the same issue with state funded meds for children. I understand that they want to save money, but the teachers can certainly tell when the children who are on behavioral meds are switched to generics. They are not the same. I hope you get the regular stuff soon and feel better soon.
Philip. I sure hope your back pain is alleviated. I like Cayuga's mention of Yoga. I practice every day, and it helps me with a sometimes troublesome back. I just think doctors want mask symptoms with medication, and/or surgery. A good walk with Molly should be in order!
Hi Folks, i went back to the Pharmacy this morning and had the substitute medication replaced to the one prescribed,.. read them the riot act,.. ,..they could very clearly see my points,..i have a three month prescription,..(repeat prescription),..the first month given to me was as the doctor prescribed,..the second months prescription was placed in a bag and sealed with adhesive tape and no mention of a generic substitution,..WHY,..they shuffled and stammered but had to admit it was underhanded,..thinking that it was supposed to be the same remedy,..(it reads so on the instructions and information),.. it seems other people have complained about the same medication,..that it was hopeless,..conclusion,..i was given my usual Losec,..took 10mg this morning and 10mg this evening,..lo and behold i am back to normal,.. . ===================================================== Hi Toni,..so it happens on your side of the pond as well but glad to see that most Pharmacies ask if it is ok to give a substitution,..i can understand the Doctor allowing it,..were she/he familiar with the substitution,..and fully knowing the patients ailment,..sometimes i feel the Drug Companies send Reps to Doctors trying to get their product prescribed,..do they give sweeteners??. ===================================================== Thank you Kiasmum,..i think i put forward a strong objection,..time will tell. ===================================================== Hi Eileen,..i have made an appointment to see my Doctor she is a very good Doctor as well and i am sure she will not be happy to find that her prescription was substituted seeing she has me well tuned up,.. ,..i agree with you about the substitution being more costly in the end as most times there are complications and further expenses as a result,..even hospitalization. ==================================================== Hi Netty,..glad you agree with my reason to vent,..i was like a dog with a bone when i realized what they had done and on top of that to find the substitution was useless. ==================================================== Thanks Cheryl,..i think the letter will wake them up on their methods as i pointed out that if there were a fatality resulting from this meddling that they should be responsible and to ensure they kept my letter on record. ==================================================== Hi Cayuga Morning,..yes i was told that if my Doctor adds a note to her prescription,..No Substitution,..that it will be so. Yoga,..yes i do a bit,.. plus the five basic exercises and also use two 3 Lb weights,..usually i am in good nick,..flat tummy and all that,.. . ==================================================== Hi Barb,..lol,..you are dead nuts on trying to rid me of that Whiskey,..yes i did partake last night,..just to calm me down,.. it surely worked so i will not have any left by Spring to use on my new chrome spade,.. ==================================================== Hi Carolyn,..this substitution seems to be in Ireland,..England,..Scotland and the USA,..you would imagine our people here would study and learn from the bad affects in other countries,..the incentive to save them money seems more important than keeping well. ==================================================== Hi Kay,..yes Doctors do mask symptoms,..taking away the pain is not solving the problem,..granted it makes life a bit more enjoyable,..i do exercises as mentioned below to build up back muscles,..that helps,..the pain is then miniscule,..its the unexpected muscle being pulled when moving quickly from a sitting position,..or getting out of bed,..i still jump out of bed at the slightest feeling that's its Army Bugle call,..pull a muscle and fall to the floor,..frightened the living daylights out of my Ex,.. .
So happy to hear that you got your proper medication and you're back to feeling good. More importantly, glad it didn't take weeks or months to happen!
Good for you Philip!! Reading the riot act will make them think twice before dispensing cheap alternatives in the future - at least I sincerely hope it will. Do let us know what your GPs reaction is when you tell her what happened. If we had done this kind of thing at the vets we could have found ourselves without jobs.
Philip, I'm so happy you are feeling better, and I'm so proud of you for telling off the pharmacy, and pursuing the matter with the Board and with your doctor. You may have saved others a lot of pain and discomfort from substituted drugs. So many would have just let it go as soon as their problem was solved. You deserve that Bushmill's!
Glad that you are feeling better & I am also glad to hear you do exercises for your back. I guess I shouldn't be surprised with the amount of gardening you do!
