Today’s piece is written by Elaine Hirsch of MastersDegree.net. She writes today about the benefits of generic drugs for patients. Note: This is in no way an endorsement of, or advertisement for, olanzapine (Zyprexa).
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must approve any medication before it is made available to patients, this includes generic medications. As highlighted in one of Natasha’s earlier articles (Are Brand Name Drugs Better than Generics? – Drugs are not Cornflakes), generic drugs must go through rigorous FDA tests just as their brand-name counterparts do. The approval of generic olanzapine (Zyprexa) for bipolar disorder the FDA has taken a step forward in providing better healthcare to men and women who suffer from mental health issues.
What is olanzapine (Zyprexa)?
The FDA has approved generic olanzapine (Zyprexa), an antipsychotic, for the treatment of bipolar and schizophrenia. This medication is a new and less expensive version of the brand name medications Zyprexa and Zyprexa Zydus. The active ingredient in the medication is the same in the non-brand form.
The purpose of olanzapine is to treat schizophrenia and bipolar symptoms. Such symptoms include disturbed thinking, loss of interest in life, inappropriate emotions and mania.
What are generic drugs?
Generic drugs are the same as brand-name equivalents as far as ingredients, measurements, and effects are concerned. The difference is generic medication is offered as a much lower price than branded medications so patients are more easily able to obtain it.
Benefits of generic drugs
Americans often have a skewed vision when it comes to generic medications. As many as one third of Americans don’t realize generic drugs have the same ingredients as their brand-named counterparts and are just as effective. Fortunately, gradually increasing knowledge about the benefits of generic medications is making the release of generic olanzapine more significant for bipolar patients.
Cost of generic drugs
The main benefit of generic drugs is the lower cost when compared to brand name options. Brand name medications are expensive and insurance companies do not generally cover the full cost of the drug. This means more money is coming out of the pocket of consumers. Generic medications come at steep discounts and many are covered in-full by prescription drug insurance coverage.
Availability of generic drugs
Perhaps one of the greatest advantages of a generic drug is that it’s more readily available to the public. Families and individuals who otherwise are not able to afford the medication from a name-brand company are able to pay for the generic version and receive the same health benefits. This opens up more doors to improving public health by making drugs more widely available among even the poorest patients.
With the approval of generic olanzapine, the FDA has made mental health treatment available to more men and women throughout the country. This generic medication for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia is much less expensive than Zyprexa, but has the same effects. Of course, any form of generic medicine entering a market reduces the overall cost of treating ailments, and olanzapine has certainly done so for people suffering from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Elaine Hirsch is kind of a jack-of-all-interests, from education and history to medicine and videogames. This makes it difficult to choose just one life path, so she is currently working as a writer for various education-related sites and writing about all these things instead.
I just read part of the article above that states that generic drugs are the same as the name-brand.
FYI, although this may be true for medication used for bipolar disorder or other mental illnesses, I’ve been told by people in-the-know that this may not be the case for medication used in treating Parkinson’s Disease. I’m not sure why this would be the exception, but I was told to watch out for my Dad as far as which medication his nursing-home was giving him. Some nursing-home patients who didn’t do well on the generic would have vast improvement when placed on the name-brand.
There is probably some political, aka someone-cutting-corners-to-save-money, reason for the above. But anyway, take my additional note with a grain of salt.
Oh, and I’ve had generally positive results for generic versions of my OCD medication.
NATASHA. IT WAS NICE HEARING FROM YOU. IF AT ALL POSSIBLE COULD YOU LIST A FEW MEDS FOR BIPOLAR THAT DO NOT CAUSE DIABETES OR POINT ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. I APPRECIATE AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH. PAUL J
Hi Paul,
To the best of my knowledge, of the drugs that are FDA-approved for bipolar disorder, these do not have diabetes listed as a side effect:
Valproic acid (Depakote) http://www.rxlist.com/depakote-er-drug/side-effects-interactions.htm
Carbamazepine (Tegretol) http://www.rxlist.com/tegretol-drug/side-effects-interactions.htm
Lamotrigine (Lamictal) http://www.rxlist.com/lamictal-drug/side-effects-interactions.htm
Ziprasidone (Geodon) http://www.rxlist.com/geodon-drug/side-effects-interactions.htm
Chlorpromazine (Thorazine) http://www.rxlist.com/thorazine-drug/side-effects-interactions.htm
This site lists the full prescribing information for medication, so if you’re wondering about a medication, search for it here: http://www.rxlist.com/script/main/hp.asp
Note that there are other medications that may work for you that aren’t officially FDA-approved for bipolar disorder that aren’t listed above.
Hope that helps.
– Natasha Tracy
NATASHA..MUCH THANKS FOR THE MEDS LIST..REALLY A BIG HELP…ALONG WITH THE AILMENTS I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY I ALSO HAVE PERIPERAL NEUROPATHY FROM THE DIABETES ALSO RESTLEG SYNDROME FROM THE PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY..ALL THIS FROM A SMALL PILL THAT THE VA DISPENSES LIKE CANDY TO A BABY AND ELI LILLY IS RUNNING TO THE BANK AND OF COURSE I AM SURE THE FDA IS GETTING THEIR SLICE OF THE PIE..ALL MY RESEARCH ON ZYPREXA TURNED UP THAT THIS MED IS THE CULPRIT WHEN IT COMES TO CONTACTING DISBETES…ONCE AGAIN..THANK YOU NATASHA AND MAY GOD BLESS..PAUL J
I had this debate with the Psychiatrist I was seeing. She said, “these drugs are chemically similar and have the same active ingredients.” The drug was Valproic Valproate, I had been taking Epival. I said I was feeling really nauseous taking the generic. She said, “that does not make sense to me”.
I said “have you ever taken the “Pepsi Challenge, both Coca Cola and Pepsi have the same active ingredient ie. caffeine and yet they are completely different products”
I went on to suggest perhaps the buffers used in the generic were causing me nausea. My mood was fine but my stomach was not. End of story she wrote the script. I take Epival to this day with no gut problems and it smells nicer than the generic to me and the burps taste better.
This all said I have taken generic Olanzapine in the past and had no issues. I think it depends on the drug. I also think that different buffers and binders could possibly cause troubles for some people who may have issues with them. Then again, maybe it was “all in my head”. :)
Hi Jake,
Yes, I have written before about how a small number of people may have reactions to a generic version of a drug. It can be the case an certain inactive ingredients don’t agree with some people. It’s possible that in a small number of people they may also find a decrease in efficacy (although I believe research hasn’t really shown this).
I’m surprised your doctor doesn’t know this as the doctors I know have certainly seen it. Like I said, it isn’t common, but it does happen.
– Natasha Tracy
I wonder what the prices will be? I was just quoted 3,791.06 for 90 tablets of 20 mg Zyprexa from drugsonline.com. That is hefty!
Hi Jeff,
That’s a good question. From my understanding of US pricing of drugs, the generic is about 20% of the cost of the name brand (as a rule of thumb). I suspect it differs brand-to-brand though.
That’s still $758 for the amount you’ve mentioned above, which is still a lot, but much better.
– Natasha Tracy