Two Popular Statins Go Generic, Paving Way for Savings

	Tweet

This summer, generic versions of two Statins, Pravachol and Zocor, will be sold at prices lower than what the brand names now command, reports the May issue of the Harvard Heart Letter.

If you have been taking Pravachol or Zocor, switching to a generic version of the same drug makes sense, says the Harvard Heart Letter. Generic drugs are the same as the brand-name version in all but looks, inactive ingredients, and price. By law a generic drug must

• contain the same active ingredients as the brand-name drug
• be identical in strength, dosage, and administration
• work the same way in the body
• meet the same standards for quality
• be made by the same rules the FDA has set for the brand-name drug.

The difference? Generic drugs cost less.

What if you are taking a statin that doesn’t yet have a generic equivalent, such as Crestor, Lescol, or Lipitor? Although the Statins are chemically different, they all lower total and LDL cholesterol. Insurers will almost certainly try to move people to generics, states the Harvard Heart Letter. However, some Statins are more powerful than others. If you need to ratchet your cholesterol way down, talk with your doctor to see if going generic makes sense.

So far, Americans haven’t been that good about switching from costly brand-name drugs to less expensive but equally effective generics. With effective generic Statins on the market, maybe it’s time to make the switch.

Also in this issue:

• Diets that lower blood pressure
• Heart disease when arteries are clear
• Safety questions on bypass drug
• Heart failure: longer survival, more cases
• Carbon monoxide poisoning and heart health
• Coffee and blood flow
• Procedures for atrial fibrillation
• A doctor answers: Can fried fish be good for my heart? And, MRIs and stents

RELATED STORIES:
New advance announced in reducing ‘bad’ cholesterol   Cholesterol drugs safe, even after a decade of use   Green tea shows small effect on cholesterol   Cleveland Clinic researcher reports that evacetrapib can increase HDL (good) cholesterol 128 percent   Targeting cholesterol to fight deadly brain cancers   Astra’s Crestor drug fails to beat Pfizer’s Lipitor   Diet alone helps lower bad cholesterol: study   ‘Good’ cholesterol function as important as its levels   Super-sticky ‘ultra-bad’ cholesterol revealed in people at high risk of heart disease   ‘Good cholesterol’ structure identified, could help explain protective effects   Eggs are now naturally lower in cholesterol   Questions over statin prescribing

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]