Generic Adderall XR

[dkaiser]

I just got a notice from my insurance
"Effective immediately, Adderall XR has a generic equivalent - amphetamine-dextroamphetamine extended release. We want you to know that according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), amphetamine-dextroamphetamine extended release contains the same active ingredient as Adderall XR, and it offers the same level of strength, quality, and safety as Adderall XR."

I'm a little worried. No pharmacists I've talked to have a clue about general XR, though I'm assuming they'll be getting the shipments soon.

Will it really be the same? I think it's wrong that the FDA says generics are the same as brand-names - it's false, the IR generics I've had vary widely in their strength and quality, and I expect Adderall XR to be the same. My insurance company is basically forcing me to take generic (or pay a lot more), so I'll deal. Hopefully it will be fine.

Does anyone know about this new generic adderall XR and how it works? $12 a month for XR is not bad, but if its a crap drug than its a crap drug.

[dm3040krag]

My sources say that this generic is produced by Shire (the mfg of Adderall XR) for Teva.
Teva is the company that released this "generic". It is expensive as a generic goes, BUT your insurance company may consider it a generic, meaning good news for you.

Basically it is exactly the same drug made by the compnay who makes the brand.

[greylochdruid]

Hello. I just started on this medication. It is a generic for my insurance and is only 10$ a month or $20 for 3 months. Still getting the dosing right for this stuff. Doc actually prescribed 30mg but when I took it like that the 1st time it made me aggressive so I called and he said it was ok to drop it back to 20mg a day. He isnt convinced that the generic is as good as the brand so he is having me take 10mg when I get up and 10mg 4 or 5 hrs later. I have a ??. How long dose the dizziness last?? Don't have a headache today. 1st day I did. This med is working for me so far. Any feedback will be greatly appreciated. I am taking the generic that Teva makes.

[fruitsalad2005]

I went to pick up my prescription last weekend and got really confused when my copay was $10 instead of $25, like it always has been. Then I saw the bottle said 'dextroamphetamine-amphetamine ER"... so I said to the pharmacist "I don't think this is right.. I'm supposed to get adderall xr." She basically said something about from now on adderall is automatically given in generic form unless the doctor writes "daw" on the prescription. I was a little annoyed at first, but I've been taking the generic all week and don't notice a bit of a differnece. Its as effective as it always has been, not to mention it's cheaper.

[fredonian]

Same thing happened to me last week. Did my monthly routine...which was my usuall walk in visit at the doctors office...paid $10 for monthly hand signed Rx...dropped it off at the pharmacy...told to come back in "about an hour"...wen't back an hour later...had my CC already pulled out for $30 co-pay...jaw dropped when the lady said..."there's no charge." I knew there was only NO co-pay (with my insurance) when generics were chosen, and my first thought was...ahhh...they've googed and filled for generic IR instead of XR. Instead to my surprise it was indeed a generic XR version. I had some initial concerns as well, but so far, it seems exactly the same. If there had been any initial differences at start, I would have to say they were thought provoke due to the "generic" awareness.

[greylochdruid]

Who makes the generic adderall xr you guys are taking?? Teva is the pharmaceuatical company I am getting mine from. I tried Teva's version of Welbutrin XL and it sucked. I have never been on any kind of other meds for my ADHD until now. I have the combined type. My coworkers noticed a difference almost immediately after I started taking the Addrl XR. I dont get irritated as easily. I am not overly loud now. I dont like the dizzy buzzed feeling though. How long does it last? I have only been on it since this past tues. I am in recovery from crack. I only started seeing someone about my ADHD abt 6mos ago. Wellbutrin was the 1st thing prescribed and it didnt really do a damn thing for my symptoms. I got the better version from Anchen (WLb XL) but it still didnt really help with my ADHD symptoms. Need some feed back guys. I am really new to this and would really like some kind of help with this.

[lateralg]

Originally Posted by fredonian

Same thing happened to me last week. Did my monthly routine...which was my usuall walk in visit at the doctors office...paid $10 for monthly hand signed Rx...dropped it off at the pharmacy...told to come back in "about an hour"...wen't back an hour later...had my CC already pulled out for $30 co-pay...jaw dropped when the lady said..."there's no charge." I knew there was only NO co-pay (with my insurance) when generics were chosen, and my first thought was...ahhh...they've googed and filled for generic IR instead of XR. Instead to my surprise it was indeed a generic XR version. I had some initial concerns as well, but so far, it seems exactly the same. If there had been any initial differences at start, I would have to say they were thought provoke due to the "generic" awareness.

What pharmacy?

My insurance (Healthnet) mail prescription provider (CVS) tells me the generic Adderall XR is the same price as brand name ... $215 for 90-day supply. Please tell me they're wrong.

[JR1973]

Shire has rights to control the pricing of the generic Adderall XR that they currently make for Teva/Barr for the first 6 months. They've also dropped the wholesale pricing of Vyvanse to make it cheaper and more attractive to steer patients to Vyvanse.

After the first 6 months the generic XR pricing should come down dramtically and also open up to additional manufacturers.

[lateralg]

Originally Posted by JR1973

Shire has rights to control the pricing of the generic Adderall XR that they currently make for Teva/Barr for the first 6 months. They've also dropped the wholesale pricing of Vyvanse to make it cheaper and more attractive to steer patients to Vyvanse.

After the first 6 months the generic XR pricing should come down dramtically and also open up to additional manufacturers.

I understand.

I'd also like to understand the low prices cited in the above posts, and how I can find these prices.

Are you sure that additional manufacturers will be able to market a generic form? I believe that Shire's patent runs until ~ 2019, and that Teva/Barr have an exclusive agreement with Shire. (Based on my limited research)

[JR1973]

I'll see if I can find the news stories about the wholesale prices.

True about the patent on XR however Barr labs challenged Shire via the Hatchman-Wax Act. Shire agreed to a controlled release of generic adderall XR for a period of 180 days in which Teva/Barr have exclusive generic distribution along with a portion of the sales back to Shire and after that Impax Labs will come into the game with no price fixing by Shire.

[demitriden]

For those of us that don't have insurance and pay cash, the generic is still $150+ from the stores I checked around my area.

20mg 30caps: CVS= 165.99, COSTCO= 175.29
.. and I assume that WALLGREENs prices are $200+, considering their dex, adderall, wellbutrin, etc. all cost almost double CVS and COSTCO.

[jennyjay]

http://blogs.iirgroup.com/?p=11477

I thought this article was interesting. Today I picked up my Adderall XR prescription to find the generic instead of the brand. I knew the day was coming, but it was still a shock. I have not had good luck with generic CONTROLLED substances. I also thought I remember reading that Barr/Teva would own the rights to the brand name Adderall XR as well. If that is true, something is not right. How can the same pharmaceutical company make both the generic and brand name. This whole thing just makes me very irritated!

[lateralg]

Originally Posted by fruitsalad2005

I went to pick up my prescription last weekend and got really confused when my copay was $10 instead of $25, like it always has been. Then I saw the bottle said 'dextroamphetamine-amphetamine ER"... so I said to the pharmacist "I don't think this is right.. I'm supposed to get adderall xr." She basically said something about from now on adderall is automatically given in generic form unless the doctor writes "daw" on the prescription. I was a little annoyed at first, but I've been taking the generic all week and don't notice a bit of a differnece. Its as effective as it always has been, not to mention it's cheaper.

fredonian

Fruitsalad and Fredonia:

Please tell us your insurance company & Pharmacy.


Here's what I get from my insurance company:
"...
there is no A/B rated generic for this medication at this time. The medication that is available is a "Branded Generic" and is classified as a brand at this time and not as a generic. I apologize for any inconvenience that this issue may have caused you.
"

fredonian

[wifeandmom]

I picked up DD's Rx at Target yesterday - 60 count of 20 mg XR. The pharmacy only had Shire, no generic. DD's prescription cost almost $70 with our insurance. When I commented on how much the price had gone up, the pharm tech said our insurance covered $400. Yeow. Last month, Target didn't have Adderall in stock so I went to Walgreen's. Mind you, this was in March. The 60 count cost almost $60 and the pharmacist said that insurance picked up around $300 of the cost. I think Shire is jacking up the price of their brand.

Target advised me to call a few days before DD's next appointment to give the pharmacy a week to order the generic.

Word to the wise: ASK what the cost will be before you pick up your prescription. You might be surprised by the price, but not necessarily in a good way.

[mhubbard24]

Same thing yesterday for me, but I was happy. I have always had very good luck with generics and my prescription now costs less than half of what it used to be. I did talk to the pharmacist and she said that this was essentially the exact same as the retail Adderall XR, made by the same company just essentially changing the label. My exact prescription is dextroamp-amphet er 30 mg cbrr The capsule looks exactly the same as my Adderall, just says Ampho Salts instead of Adderall.

My thoughts on why a company would make a generic themselves of their own product..... maybe if a company feels threatened enough to lose most of their business to a generic then why not make the generic yourself to make money from that?