When shouldnt Generics be substituted for Brand name drugs?
Very few drugs have a “narrow therapeutic index,” meaning that a small variation in dose can cause problems, such as too little effectiveness or too many side effects. With some drugs, including phenytoin (brand name Dilantin), carbamazepine (Tegretol), valproic acid (Depakene), divalproex sodium (Depakote), digoxin (Lanoxin), warfarin (Coumadin), lithium (Lithobid, Eskalith), levothyroxine (Synthroid, Levoxyl), and theophylline (Theo-Dur), you shouldn’t switch from brand to genericor vice versawithout your doctor’s approval and close supervision. Always talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or both before asking for a substitute.
