Thoughts on Generic Ribashpere

[GoofyDad]

Around mid-December 2005, generic ribaviran hit the market in the form of Ribasphere. A number of us here are in the process being switched over to it, and I think it's safe to say more and more will be switching going forward.

Most of us would probably prefer to continue treatment with the name brand drug, although with the significant price differential between name brand and generic, I expect many of us would more willingly switch to the cheaper product were we paying out of pocket.  

I thought it would be informative to have a thread for discussing the merits and issues of generic ribavirin.

[wMich]

I switched to generic Ribavirin late last year right after it became available. In a way I was forced into this when my co-pay for Copegus jumped from $35/month to nearly $280/month. A couple days on the phone, some angst and a few ruffled feathers later I found out that it was a condition of my insurance coverage: $35 co-pay cap on branded drugs when there is no generic available that goes up to a 20% co-pay when/if one is available. The "retail" price on the "generic" Ribavirin from Three Rivers Pharmacy (AKA Ribasphere) is not that much less (@$80.00/mo) than Copegus either! Buy this stock I'm thinkin', LOL.

Anyway, I wasn't happy with the switch but didn't want to have to pay so much out of pocket either, especially with more than half of my 48 weeks to go. Maybe I don't like the blue color, who knows? I heard generics should be available in 400 and 600 mg tabs soon, if not already and I'm surely down with taking less pills! I have no less faith in the generic product and am not sure that there can be any effective difference from Copegus. The stuff still delivers the old rash 'n rage, so lets hope it delivers that SVR thing with it!  ;-)

Lee

[GoofyDad]

Forsee: Amazes me that people don't include their kids more than they do. Why not? Are they ill behaved? Brats? We decline to treat them as the responsible young people we wish them to be, then blame them when they don't become the responsible young people we wish that they were.  

Tator: Sorry for your headaches. Mine was pretty short lived. It was the left temporal area for me, but then I'm taking the riba orally. ;-)

[jmjm530]

I kinda thought the same thing...wonder if I should just mix 'em up a bit. Three Copegus in the morn', Three, Three-Rivers at night. Then maybe a little Deltamethrin chaser before bedtime -- hey, it seems to kill the moths pretty well :)

-- Jim

[mikesimon]

I find you sanctimonious at best. Rev had you nailed. Mike

[NYgirl]

Honestly - I am a believer in generics for people who have to pay for their drugs - they are the exact same thing except since they company didn't have to put all the money into developing them and stuff...so they are cheaper.

I don't think they are any different than regular drugs with a "name".  IE: look at ibuprofen compared to Advil...one just cheaper than the other but the same stuff.

I wouldn't care if they would put me on them really at all as long as I knew it was the same stuff.

:)

[GoofyDad]

<i>Isn't Cafe Amsterdam a bar?</i>

Bar. Restaurant. The lines blur. Why?