What is drug switching?

Drug switching refers to the practice of replacing a brand name drug with a generic drug. This practice is often used to reduce drug costs. While the generic alternative is used to treat the same or similar conditions, it often differs in chemical make-up, and can effect your body differently to produce different results.
Why is drug switching dangerous?
Health insurance plans have been sending letters encouraging members to switch from brand name drugs to their “generic alternatives”. The letters use complicated terminology and are misleading about the fact a “generic alternative” is an entirely different drug with different results and side effects. This practice is not only offensive to patients; physicians are being forced to battle insurance companies when it comes to the well being of their patients.
What can I do?
As consumers, voicing your opinions is imperative. We need to let the healthcare industry know that practices such as drug switching are unacceptable.The Alliance for Patient Access has issued a petition in support of the American Medical Association’s Health Insurers Code of Conduct to prevent health insurance plans from manipulating members with dangerous practices such as prescription drug “switching”. These practices put member’s health at risk for the sake of profit.
To curb practices that put patients’ health at risk for the sake of a profit, the proposed Code of Conduct addresses four pillars.
1.Transparency
2. Clinical autonomy
3. Corporate integrity
4. Patient safety and welfare.
The AfPA’s petition calls for upholding business integrity, with fees reflecting acceptable rates and prescribed courses of treatment resulting from medically-based, not-fiscally driven, decisions. The AfPA’s first priority remains patients’ access to quality medical care that ensures their safety and welfare.
To sign the petition, visit the AfPA website at: www.insurepatientaccess.org

Key Terms

Brand Name Drugs – Drugs that are researched, invented, developed, patented, manufactured and distributed by a pharmaceutical drugs.
Generic Drugs – Drugs labeled by their official (chemical) name and manufactured by a drug firm after the original patent expires.
Drug Switching – The practice of switching from a brand name drug to a generic drug.
Generic Alternative – A generic alternative works like a brand name drug and is often used to treat the same conditions. But, the chemical make-up of the generic drug often differs from the brand name drug. Over all results are often different.
Generic Equivalent- A generic equivalent uses the same active ingredient and dosage as the brand name drug. Generally, the same results can be expected.
Therapeutic Substitution – Interchange of one pharmaceutical product with another that differs in composition, but is considered to have similar results.