Va Meds, Generic Or Name Brand?

[cowgirl 0]

Is there a way one can tell if the meds I get from thw Va are generic or name brand? Some of my med bottles are sealed, but I'm just not sure.

thanks,

Cg

[purple 3]

What do you mean by "sealed"? There should still be the med name on the bottle. Type the name of the med into WebMD and see what comes up....that will tell you if it's the generic or brand name and also usually give all other possible names of that med.

Also.......and very important.....go to Google or your favorite search engine and type in "drug drug interactions"....go to one of those websites and follow the directions. List all the meds the VA gives you as well as everything else you take. The VA usually fails to tell you the potential interactions of medicaitons...I've had some bad experiences with medication interactions thanks to the VA.

[Ladybug 0]

I have looked them up on RXLIST.com and www.drugs.com/pill_identification.html

for more information.

[Pete53 0]

The only time you can be sure that the med is brand is if it comes in the brand name bottle. What I want to know is if my med was made in USA or some foreign country.

Maybe someone could do a FOIA and ask VA to identify how much of our medicine is foreign generic?

[Ladybug 0]

I have found http://www.onlinedrugtest.info/reference/ as a good reference site on the manufacturer of any meds I'm taking. Using my link below from www.drugs.com will confirm the shape and markings for the pill as well as list the manufacturer and country then you can go to the above site and get more information. You can go to the FDA site and see any current updates on these meds as well. Hope this helps

[purple 3]

i am very leary of meds given to me by the VA. recently i was quite ill after a few doses of buproprion. this shouldn't have made me sick IAW with the drug interaction checker; however, after reading my records and listening to the prescriber (an RN!!)...she used the drug names, Wellbutrin, Buspar, and Buproprion interchangeably!! Two of these have serious drug interactions with another med I'm already on....so who knows what the original script really was or what I was given each time...I do know that I have been given all 3 at one time or another and told they were all the same thing..........so not true!

Oddly enough that RN now no longer is allowed to see pts....other pts of hers have had very serious issues; much worse than mine.........(oh yes, she was "promoted").