generic Copegus Vs. Not

[justtry]

I have a lot of difficulties with my new insurance - they didn’t deliver my Pegasys, Copegus in time because were confuse by doctor's prescription with possible generic. Finally they billed me a big co-pay for Not - generic.
Is any real difference in the result between generic or not?
What is different in cost?
Should I take the same amount of medicine?  

[nygirl7]

During my 72 weeks of treatment I took every brand variation there is.  There really is no difference whatsoever with generic to brand name except the patent runs out on the brand (which is more expensive because they had to do the original research) and then somebody copies their forumulary and puts out a generic.

I ended up SVR so I really don't think there is any problem.

It's like taking Advil vs. Ibuprofen - same stuff just one is packaged fancy and is familiar and the other is not.

[nygirl7]

During my 72 weeks of treatment I took every brand variation there is.  There really is no difference whatsoever with generic to brand name except the patent runs out on the brand (which is more expensive because they had to do the original research) and then somebody copies their forumulary and puts out a generic.

I ended up SVR so I really don't think there is any problem.

It's like taking Advil vs. Ibuprofen - same stuff just one is packaged fancy and is familiar and the other is not.

[FlGuy]

Overr the course of 70-some weeks of tx, I never took a Copegus branded ribavirin.  The generics suck just fine.  As to the Ribapak, reading this forum over the months I get the idea that use of the paks is a little more common in Canada than it is in the US.

[Trish77]

I'm in Canada.  I wonder if that's the difference.  However, I'll have to look into that here.  The pharmacist I asked wasn't very experienced with any of these drugs.  

[Xenigma]

I just noticed it comes in higher doses too.
I'm sorry I jumped the gun on the 800mg. pak

RibaPak™ (ribavirin) is the first 400 mg and 600 mg ribavirin tablets for chronic hepatitis C virus infection
Treatment with RibaPak requires up to 66% fewer tablets than with Copegus® (ribavirin, USP)*

[Xenigma]

GENERIC NAME: ribavirin
BRAND NAME: Rebetol, Copegus

If you were charged for brand and recieved generic, call
the pharmacy and have them credit your next shipment,
instead of cutting you a check for the difference.

I take the Ribapak--
Here is what the Ribapak looks like:
http://www.ribapak.com/

If you take more than 800mg per day, you should
receive a bottle of pills, not the pack.

[Trish77]

Thanks for the info.  I will have to look into that.  I get charged for not using generic also.  

[NYCMark]

There IS generic Copegus, and it is much less expensive than brand name Copegus. You should get your doctor to prescribe it (it frequently comes in something called Ribapak, a strip of pills in bubble paks dispensed in weekly amounts. THe exact contents depends on your specific ribavirin dosage.  It is much cheaper than, and equally effective as, Copegus.

There is no generic equivalent of PegIntron or Pegasys.

MArk

[Trish77]

I asked the pharmacist about generic drugs for Pegetron and he said there were no generic drugs available for this kind of medication.  Perhaps others can weigh in?  If that is truly the case and you're being billed for not using generic then maybe you want to get your money back.  How can they bill you for not using something that doesn't exist?