Pharmaceutical Problem In T&T

[LadyDeath]

Trinidad Pharmceuticals are slowly killing us! There is no way to explain this properly so i have to put it into point form. It has been brought to my attention that :

1. Trinidad passes of generic medication as original : In the hospitals they use generic medications to give to patients especially the elderly who collect CDAP. My grandfather was given a generic METFORMIN tablet and it was making him very sick. Symptoms were upset stomach, vomitting and dizziness. When he visited his doctor with medication in hand , the doctor told him that this is a knock-off Metformin and not the original tablet. He also said these are made in Latin American or some third world countries e.g India with lower quality and does not have all ingredients. It is also cheaper to import. He now has to buy the original tablets from the pharmacy. I myself, have been given this exact generic tablet by a fraud OBGYN in Chaguanas that was doing nothing for me except making me sick! Research more info on Eurpean Countries Ban Generic Medicine. Ranbaxy Factory Shut Down In India.

2. Trinidad Pharmaceuticals Ignore Expiration Dates : When tablets are dispensed in large quantities, and people get them in the little clear bags, do you think they check the expiration dates ? When my aunt was working here in Trinidad as a nurse, they were told that the expiration date does not matter and confirmed that generic or expired tablets were given to patients. Expired Vaccines as well were used on patients.

3. Some of them even sell the generic tablets the same price as the original.

4. Some generic medication are NOT EVEN FDA APPROVED and sold here.

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What brought me to finally make this post was an incident that happened at home. One of my family member had an eye allergic reaction to dust in the air from some contruction being done to our home. She went to the pharmacy to get a simple eye ointment to put in the eye to remove the dust . Her eye was swollen, itching , red and was feeling like gravel in it everytime she blinked.
The pharmacist gave her Terramycin for the eyes. When she began using it, her eye became worst and had nearly swollen shut. She went by the doctor after who perscribed the original Terramycin and told her that the previous one was generic. Why did the pharmacist give her that in the first place and why didn't she inform her that it was a generic brand? Can you imagine what would of happen if she continued to use the generic brand? Her eyes would of eventually swollen shut !

Here is a picture of the both when compared

 

[nirtime]

I would take it back to the pharmacy and let them know that it was a generic and that if I wasn't compensated I would take it further and spread the incident publicly.

Further, I am very very aware of knock-offs and the problems they pose. My family has thrown away boxes of medication after realizing they were not original. This is a major problem and we need to try our best to look at expiration dates when possible and we need to try googling what the packages look like to get a realistic idea of what we are buying. The Terrymycin product looks far far different from its knock-off based on the above picture and I could never imagine how it felt having the eye get worse after taking something that supposedly was quietly sold as an original.

 

[LadyDeath]

Apparently speaking to someone in the medical field today for more info this happens quite regularly.
Pharmacists buy generic tablets wholesale and then pawn them off in clear baggies sold to the public. Lol apparently they are business people too and need to make profit . Who knew human health was better than a making a few more dollars on a cheap knock-off?

I Am not saying all generic tablets are bad. I am sure SOME do indeed work and have the same side effects as the original.
HOWEVER We as the consumers should have a right to know and choose what we put into our bodies to treat illnesses. We should be warned by the pharmacists before and given the option that :

1. It is generic
2. May/May not be FDA Approved
3. Has more or less side effects than the original.

 

[grimreaper009]

this is a whole big field which you cannot explain in one go....the eye drop the use is the exact same thing as just from a different hence a slight difference......same thing is seen with panadol and other tablets

 

[nirtime]

Not always Philip. Its not like Acutane where the patent expired and then Roaccutane and Acnotin are the same drug at different prices.

Sometimes its a generic in similar fashion to our car parts. Has an oem logo on the bag with a make belief bar code but the actual product is cheaply made and doesnt even last as long.

I dont think health is something to play with. Pharmacists have sold me a lot of products for my cold of which none have helped so yes they are business ppl and need to make ends meet but dont tell me generic drugs for money... Its my life, my health I deserve to know

 

[grimreaper009]

what im saying like this to put it in layman terms....is that the person/company have the procedure to make it, it is essentially the same thing just subtle differences due to the process of obtaining the product

 

[nirtime]

what im saying like this to put it in layman terms....is that the person/company have the procedure to make it, it is essentially the same thing just subtle differences due to the process of obtaining the product

If I understand you, you're saying its essentially the same product thats just produced cheaper right?

 

[Shadowhunter]

This is indeed a dangerous problem. I hope the original true medication worked for the person and cut the effects of the fake!

I remember filling a prescription at a pharmacy about 10 years ago and receiving generic medication. I had severe side effects that landed me in the hospital (that did not know how to treat me smh). About 5 years later, I was supposed to be put on the same medication in another country and told them about my side effects. After trying a series of different things that did not work, they tried me back on the original medication. While my side effects were not the same, the appearance of the tablet was slightly different as well. After taking it I realized I was never originally on the true medication and the staff used my description to show me a picture of a generic version of the medication, which was indeed the one that put me in the hospital. A few years ago, a local clinic tried to give me the same generic medication and gave it to me and included it in my medical files even after I refused to take it citing my reasons why.

I was told by the pharmacist at that clinic that those with the authority higher up are the ones making the call for cheap generic meds made in India etc because it is significantly cheaper than the originals thus easier to get. Even so, many pharmacies run out of medication until their restocking date and call up their family, friends etc to come and collect the medication quickly as soon as it is given to them with the rest told there is no more when it runs out. When patients receive medication in clear plastic baggies, unless they are very familiar with the original, it will be very hard to tell that they are on cheap substitutes.


I know someone that needed to have an operation and when the operating doctor realized the patient had been given generic medication for the past week before the operation, insisted that they come off it immediately as it was extremely detrimental to their health. The life saving operation had to be postponed until the generic medication was out of the patient's system. The original medication was supposed to be taken daily for the rest of the patient's life to help keep them alive and the operating doctor said the patient had a better chance on no medication than on the detrimental effects of the generic meds.


Before original meds were phased out though, I was told by a nurse and another pharmacist that when the original meds came in, the hospital or health facility staff kept back medication for their friends and family. Other than that, it was who had contacts to go in as soon as the shipment was ready to be given out; first come first served. Patients who were not privy to this info would wait in the long lines only to be told that there was no more medication or to be given generic subs.


I have no idea about the vaccines. Every time I've been ill and gone to a public Trini hospital or health facility the first thing they do is give me an injection for "the virus". Same procedure from over 10 years ago is done today, no advances in medical care or protocols whatsoever. You are never given an explanation of what is wrong, what kind of "virus" you have, if you are contagious or not, how it may have been contracted, what you are being injected with, what side effects it may have, what steps you should take to recover, what you should avoid etc. Well over 10 years of everybody in Trinidad supposedly having "the virus" and needing "an injection". Only when you go private are you given explanations and treated like a human patient rather than a lab animal (usually not for "the virus"). In my experience, private doctors aren't as injection or pill happy as those in the public sector. Could be they are aware of expired and/or generic drugs and the harmful effects and whatnot.

 

[grimreaper009]

If I understand you, you're saying its essentially the same product thats just produced cheaper right?

yea and sometimes its of the same grade you just have to know about it before hand and always good to read the back of whatever meds you are buying also

 

[nirtime]

In the case of the Terrymycin it doesnt appear to be that way since it caused ill side effects. I know what you are talking about, that is most common.

 

[LadyDeath]

I understand Phillip but these are not car parts or kitchen utensils . It's one's health that they are playing with and everybody reacts differently with medication. Generic Ranbaxy that was sold from India resulted in alot of death and kidney failure when taken for long periods. Many people didn't even no the difference because it was dispensed by health care and they were not alerted it was generic.

As i said some can work just as the original tablets or some has very ill side effects due to it being cheaply made or in unsanitary conditions.
It is up to the HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL to alert the person before hand about the medication , which TRINI people fail to do. You go to the hospital or pharmacy and they just give you something and tell you how much times to take it . No description of the medication whatsoever.

When we reach home only we can research the medication to see what was given, AFTER IT WAS BOUGHT .

 

[Shadowhunter]

We can only research the medication if we are given the proper name as well. Someone I know received generic medication in the plastic zip bags from their hospital. On the baggie the proper name of the medication was given, even though some of the medication was still in generic packaging. Often times they'll just list something really vague. I've gotten medication with the name "iron tablets" written on the bag already. Very inaccurate and very easy to confuse different kinds of tablets that look extremely similar. You can't research things like that when it's presented in that manner with no warning of the true content in the bag from the health professionals. I think there needs to be some accountability to force health professionals to take this more seriously.

 

[LadyDeath]

Trinidad Express Newspapers: | No help for sick dad, as woman turned away

Just imagine in that link above a woman was turned away at the San Fernando Teaching Hospital , as she was pleading to get her ailing father's medication. Some pharmacists are also hoggish people does be afraid to ask. I am glad this was brought to light !

 

[grimreaper009]

they will have to change up some of the rules like courtesy first even if the customer being a *** and take time to explain to people or even help them In the right way if their is a procedure to be followed before they can get the meds

 

[Shadowhunter]

Looks like we have to walk around recording everything for proof of these events though. It is such a popular thing and is often swept under the rug. I hope they don't hush this and gloss it over.

 

[nirtime]

Looks like we have to walk around recording everything for proof of these events though. It is such a popular thing and is often swept under the rug. I hope they don't hush this and gloss it over.

I have no problem recording everything if that's what it takes.