Millions are being spent to protect profits patents:
Generic drugs are the centerpiece of efforts to tame growth in America’s prescription-drug bill, which topped $270 billion in 2006. When a doctor writes a prescription for a brand-name drug, pharmacists are usually permitted in most states to make an automatic switch to a generic judged equivalent by the FDA.The epilepsy legislation would carve out an exception to that rule, with many of the bills requiring that doctors explicitly approve such a switch. Tennessee has passed a weaker version that requires doctor notification but not consent. Around 25 other states have considered some form of restriction in the past year.
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{ 4 comments }
How stupid. If the physician wants the name brand specifically, she/he could write on the prescription: “no generic”. Simple. What reason other than profit could there be for passing such a law?
A while ago, I got Wal-Mart’s latest flyer, listing their four-dollar generics. There’s a disclaimer about “Not available in……(certain states named).
Checking with pharmacists locally, as best I can tell, it’s because the states named have minimum pricing laws for prescriptions. You can’t charge below a certain price, and as best as I can tell, that’s to protect Mom-and-Pop pharmacies from the chains.
seriously anon 11:32? you equate drug companies making it hard to buy equivalent, cheaper medicine to physicians attempting to alter medical liability laws? Come up with something better than that please.
You’re all trying to pass legislation that favors you and puts more money in your pockets.
What’s the difference?
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