PGA Newsletter – Vol.2 No.7 29th Feb.,2012

Following reports the first generic version of atorvastatin will be hitting pharmacy shelves soon, the National Prescribing Service (NPS) is urging consumers to be medicinewise when making a choice between medicine brands.

NPS CEO Dr Lynn Weekes says there has been a lot of talk in the media regarding the different generic options coming to market once Lipitor’s patent expires on May 1 this year.

“Lipitor is one of the most commonly prescribed medicines, with over 10 million prescriptions written every year,” she said.

“As new brands come onto the market, it is likely many people will be offered a choice of different medicine brands. It’s important people know that no matter what brand they choose, if the active ingredient and the size of the dose is the same the medicine will work the same in their body.”

The active ingredient is the chemical in a medicine which makes it work and is usually found on the medicine label or packaging. However, a survey conducted by NPS last year reported around 40 per cent of respondents would not be able to identify it on a medicine packet.

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PGA Newsletter – Vol.2 No.7 29th Feb.,2012