Propecia - Changing rules, prices and doctors

[swayzedo]

Hi all, I'm just wondering what experiences you have had with getting Propecia on prescription from your doctor because I am now being quite inconvenienced due to seemingly changing rules about the drug. Also how long do you have to go before the effects of Propecia wear off of slow down?

 

I only ask because I usually miss out on at least 5 days due to the aforementioned changing rules and trying to get a new supply when mine have run out. Let me explain...

 

My first month was fine, went to the doctor got 28 pills (1 day wait for pharmacy to get stock)

 

Second month got a repeat prescription went to pharmacy and the pills had shot up in price to ?40 from ?28. The three Pharmacy's I went to did not have any in stock and took 2 days to order.

 

Now the third month I ran out again so I phoned for my repeat and was called into the surgery (booked 3 days later) and the doctor is now saying I will be charged for the Prescription itself plus the drug and that I cannot have a repeat prescription and must make an appointment every time I want it. She also tried to discourage me from taking them as it was not a "long term solution" which I found rather embarrassing. As mentioned I had run out 3 days earlier when I phoned about a repeat then having to go in and collect the prescription and again waiting 2 days for the pharmacy to get stock in added up to 5 days without.

 

I travel a lot on work so any prescriptions I need I usually send a relative to collect for me which I've had no trouble with before, even with things I've needed quite seriously in a medical way. I've had no side effects whatsoever from Propecia so I'm unsure as to all this hassle.

 

Does anyone know what the exact rules are and is there an alternative so I don't need to go through all this hideous inconvenience and discouragement again?

 

Thanks for reading, any information will help!

[bonkerstonker]

Mate sack that i used to get it from the doctor it's a power pain in the ass and the prices are scandelous but about 5 years ago spex put me in touch with a few doctors that sell it straight from the chemist in yearly supplies. The best place to get it now where it is definitely legit is Dr Singh at http://ukfinasteride.info.

 

For some gay reason links always get removed on here so google ukfinasteride Dr Singh and you'll likely find the site if the link isn't there by the time you read this.

 

I was told by Dr Ashcroft who takes propecia him self that finasteride stays in your system so don't worry too much about having gaps but it's obviously best not to.

 

Just one other thing to add always buy merck because in my opinion generic finasteride has inconsistancies in effectivness this goes for generic finasteride straight out of them chemist too. Thats just my thoughts and thoughts of a few other people i have spoke with on the forums who had problems and sudden hairloss with legit chemist finasteride.

[bonkerstonker]

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/160328-psa-beware-generic-proscar.html

[NEWHAIRPLEASE]

Havent had any problem getting fin. Sides usually slow down within a year!

[swayzedo]

Thanks for the great replies everyone!

 

It is a pain in the arse getting it and I just shelled out ?80 for a 2 months supply so do you think I'd be better off getting a supply of Proscar (non generic of course!)

 

Out of curiosity why is taking 1mg Propecia (or 1mg proscar) a better doseage for hair loss than just taking the full 5mg Proscar tablets? I'm not for a minute thinking of doing it but I'd like to ask!

 

Thanks again for all the great help and information folks!

[NEWHAIRPLEASE]

Thanks for the great replies everyone!

 

It is a pain in the arse getting it and I just shelled out ?80 for a 2 months supply so do you think I'd be better off getting a supply of Proscar (non generic of course!)

 

Out of curiosity why is taking 1mg Propecia (or 1mg proscar) a better doseage for hair loss than just taking the full 5mg Proscar tablets? I'm not for a minute thinking of doing it but I'd like to ask!

 

Thanks again for all the great help and information folks!

 

First, you CAN get generic Proscar, there is nothing wrong with that! Just make sure it is a reputable manufacturer, like TEVA. It probably might benefit you a little taking the full 5mg vs the 1mg but the risk vs reward isnt worth it. I take 2.5mg a day just because it's easier to break pills in half instead of quarters!

[swayzedo]

Ok thanks I think I'll use that website and order some MSD brand proscar when I run out of Propecia in 2 months and just cut it in half. ?500 a year compared to ?120 for the same drug is just no competition.

 

It really is disgusting how quickly companies will jump to take advantage of people who just want to look and feel a little better.

[bonkerstonker]

Trust me mate generic legit proscar is no good have you read that thread i gave you above labelled psa beware genric proscar? Why risk it when people have had problems me being one and my generic finasteride was from the chemist so i know it wasn't fake.

 

5mg proscar would be much better for you hair obviously but you'd have side effects that you don't want. When they ran test in the 90's on finasteride they found 1 mg was enough for hair reasons and 5mg was enough for prostate enlargement which you don't have i'd guess. Also if for some reason finasteride started losing it's effect you can always upgrade to 2.5mg but if you're already at 5mg you've had it.

 

I think 120 quid gets you a years worth of merck at that site.

Edited July 21, 2011 by bonkerstonker

[NEWHAIRPLEASE]

Trust me mate generic legit proscar is no good have you read that thread i gave you above labelled psa beware genric proscar? Why risk it when people have had problems me being one and my generic finasteride was from the chemist so i know it wasn't fake.

 

5mg proscar would be much better for you hair obviously but you'd have side effects that you don't want. When they ran test in the 90's on finasteride they found 1 mg was enough for hair reasons and 5mg was enough for prostate enlargement which you don't have i'd guess. Also if for some reason finasteride started losing it's effect you can always upgrade to 2.5mg but if you're already at 5mg you've had it.

 

I think 120 quid gets you a years worth of merck at that site.

 

Bonker- this is from the FDA. Read this and tell me what you think.

 

Drug products sold in the United States are approved by the FDA whether they are brand name or generic. "Most people believe that if something costs more, it has to be better quality. In the case of generic drugs, this is not true," says Gary Buehler, Director of FDA's Office of Generic Drugs. "The standards for quality are the same for brand name and generic products."

 

Despite the strict standards imposed by the FDA for approval of generic drugs, and their enforcement of these standards, a number of misconceptions about generic drugs persist (See "Myths and Facts about Generics" to the right).

New drugs, like other new products, are developed under patent protection. The patent protects the investment in the drug's development by giving the company the sole right to sell the drug while the patent is in effect. When patents or other periods of exclusivity on brand-name drugs are near expiration, manufacturers can apply to the FDA to sell generic versions.

"Much of FDA's review of generic drugs and brand name drugs is the same," Buehler explains (See "Same FDA Requirements for Brand-Name and Generic Drugs" below). There are eight major parts to the FDA's review of a firm's application to sell a generic drug:

There must be an FDA-approved brand-name drug that is the reference for the proposed generic. The generic must have the same active ingredient or ingredients and the same labeled strength as this reference product. It must have the same dosage form-tablets, patches and liquids are examples of dosage forms. It must be administered the same way, for example, swallowed as a pill or given as an injection.

The manufacturer must show the generic drug is "bioequivalent" to the brand-name drug (See "What Is Bioequivalence?" below).

The generic drug's labeling must be essentially the same as that of the approved drug.

The firm must fully document the generic drug's chemistry, manufacturing steps, and quality control measures. Each step of the process must be detailed for FDA review.

The firm must assure the FDA that the raw materials and the finished product meet USP specifications, if these have been set. The USP, or U.S. Pharmacopoeia, is the non-profit, scientific body chartered by Congress to set standards for drug purity in this country.

The firm must show that its generic drug maintains stability as labeled before it can be sold. Once on the market, the firm must continue to monitor the drug's stability. The firm must show that the container and its closure system won't interact with the drug. Firms making sterile drugs must submit sterility assurance data showing microbiologic integrity of these products.

The firm must provide a full description of the facilities it uses to manufacture, process, test, package, label and control the drug. It must certify that it complies with federal regulations about current good manufacturing practices and undergo FDA inspection of the manufacturing facility to assure compliance.

Before FDA approves a generic drug, it usually conducts an inspection at the proposed manufacturing site to make sure the firm is capable of meeting its application commitments and to ensure the firm can manufacture the product consistently.

"Generic competition helps keep the cost of drugs down," Buehler says. "It also encourages the research based drug companies to keep finding newer and better

medicines that have patent protection."

When retired federal auditor Stuart Addison went to the pharmacy, he had the pharmacist fill his prescriptions with generic drugs. "My motivation is to keep the prices down," Addison said, noting that his insurance plan helped pay for his prescriptions. "My pocketbook isn't directly affected; but, in the long run, I'm helping to keep insurance premiums down." Generic drugs save consumers an estimated $8 to $10 billion a year at retail pharmacies (according to the Congressional Budget Office). Even more billions are saved when hospitals use generics.

"FDA-approved generic drugs are bioequivalent and therapeutically equivalent to their brand-name counterparts," says Buehler. "People can use them with total confidence."

Same FDA Requirements for Brand-Name and Generic Drugs

Brand Name Drug

Generic Drug

For reformulations of a brand-name drug or generic versions of a drug, FDA reviews data showing the drug is bioequivalent to the one used in the original safety and efficacy testing.

*

FDA evaluates the manufacturer's adherence to good manufacturing practices before the drug is marketed.

**** *

FDA reviews the active and inactive ingredients used in the formulation before the drug is marketed.

*

FDA reviews the actual drug product.

*

FDA reviews the drug's labeling.

*

Manufacturer must seek FDA approval before making major manufacturing changes or reformulating the drug.

*

Manufacturer must report adverse reactions and serious adverse health effects to the FDA.

*

FDA periodically inspects manufacturing plants.

*

FDA monitors drug quality after approval.

*

 

Myths and Facts about Generic Drugs

MYTH: Generics take longer to act in the body.

FACT: The firm seeking to sell a generic drug must show that its drug delivers the same amount of active ingredient in the same timeframe as the original product.

MYTH: Generics are not as potent as brand-name drugs.

FACT: FDA requires generics to have the same quality, strength, purity, and stability as brand-name drugs.

MYTH: Generics are not as safe as brand-name drugs.

FACT: FDA requires that all drugs be safe and effective and that their benefits outweigh their risks. Since generics use the same active ingredients and are shown to work the same way in the body, they have the same risk-benefit profile as their brand-name counterparts.

MYTH: Brand-name drugs are made in modern manufacturing facilities, and generics are often made in substandard facilities.

FACT: FDA won't permit drugs to be made in substandard facilities. FDA conducts about 3,500 inspections a year in all firms to ensure standards are met. Generic firms have facilities comparable to those of brand-name firms. In fact, brand-name firms account for an estimated 50 percent of generic drug production. They frequently make copies of their own or other brand-name drugs but sell them without the brand name.

MYTH: Generic drugs are likely to cause more side effects.

FACT: There is no evidence of this. FDA monitors reports of adverse drug reactions and has found no difference in the rates between generic and brand-name drugs.

What Is Bioequivalence?

Generics are not required to replicate the extensive clinical trials that have already been used in the development of the original, brand-name drug. These tests usually involve a few hundred to a few thousand patients. Since the safety and efficacy of the brand-name product has already been well established in clinical testing and frequently many years of patient use, it is scientifically unnecessary, and would be unethical, to require that such extensive testing be repeated in human subjects for each generic drug that a firm wishes to market. Instead, generic applicants must scientifically demonstrate that their product is bioequivalent (i.e., performs in the same manner) to the pioneer drug.

One way scientists demonstrate bioequivalence is to measure the time it takes the generic drug to reach the bloodstream and its concentration in the bloodstream in 24 to 36 healthy, normal volunteers. This gives them the rate and extent of absorption-or bioavailability-of the generic drug, which they then compare to that of the pioneer drug. The generic version must deliver the same amount of active ingredients into a patient's bloodstream in the same amount of time as the pioneer drug.

Using bioequivalence as the basis for approving generic copies of drug products was established by the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, also known as the Hatch-Waxman Act. Brand-name drugs are subject to the same bioequivalency tests as generics when their manufacturers reformulate them.

This article originally appeared in the September 1999 Special Report, "From Test Tube to Patient: Improving Health Through Human Drugs"

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Public Health Service - Food and Drug Administration

The contents of this publication--both text and graphics--are not copyrighted. They are in the public domain and may be republished, reprinted, and otherwise used freely by anyone, without the need to obtain permission from FDA. Credit to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as the source is appreciated but not required. We also appreciate being informed about the use of our materials. Contact CDER at 1 (888) INFO-FDA.