Shortage of my favorite Hydroxychloroquine, brand name of Plaquenil?
I recently heard about a possible Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) drug shortage, and thought I'd post.
First and foremost, please don't panic. I know that Hydroxycholoroquine is typically a lupus staple, and many of us (and our doctors) don't know what we'd do without the drug. I just wanted to poll the readership to see if any of you have been affected, and whether some areas of the country are having more difficulty than others. I just refilled my 3-month prescription in January, with no trouble. Hopefully, the issue will resolve itself soon!
Feel free to email or comment if you've experienced trouble filling your prescription, and if so, tell us what you and your doctor or pharmacist have done in the meantime. (We're solution-oriented here at Despite Lupus!)
Here's a link to the Lupus Foundation of America's article on the drug shortage, and here's a snippet of the story:
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First and foremost, please don't panic. I know that Hydroxycholoroquine is typically a lupus staple, and many of us (and our doctors) don't know what we'd do without the drug. I just wanted to poll the readership to see if any of you have been affected, and whether some areas of the country are having more difficulty than others. I just refilled my 3-month prescription in January, with no trouble. Hopefully, the issue will resolve itself soon!
Feel free to email or comment if you've experienced trouble filling your prescription, and if so, tell us what you and your doctor or pharmacist have done in the meantime. (We're solution-oriented here at Despite Lupus!)
Here's a link to the Lupus Foundation of America's article on the drug shortage, and here's a snippet of the story:
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We have heard reports throughout the country that individuals have been unable to obtain hydroxychloroquine, the generic form of the drug. According to the FDA, a generic drug is identical, or bioequivalent, to a brand name drug in dosage form, safety, strength, quality, performance characteristics and intended use.
There are also reports that the price of both the generic and brand name forms have increased dramatically. Several manufacturers of hydroxychloroquine have told us that the cause of the shortage is due to an increase in demand...The FDA has not formally added hydroxychloroquine to its list of drug shortages, but the FDA works closely with the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and directs individuals to ASHP to receive the most up-to-date information on drug shortages.
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Comments
But, mine has changed to a new generic that I've never used before. The last generic worked just as well, but tasted a little different before swallowing it. I'll see how this one goes and report back!
On an aside, does everyone's pred vary too? I'm new to it and have had about 4 different generic brands.
My methotrexate seems to be the same every time though, which is something!
My recent order was filled with brand, at a cost of $496.00 for the same number of pills. I am returning it, because I did not request brand, nor did they contact me about filling it with brand, but am finding there are shortages of generic in my area as well, Toledo, OH. I've resorted to buying Canadian for a few other drugs and avoiding rip offs by insurance companies. Maybe I'll do it with this one as well.
I was shocked when the pharmacist told me how much old, generic Plaquenil would cost without insurance. She told me there is a discount available, but couldn't figure out what it was since mine was already processed under insurance. I hope they accept the GoodRX discount, which would save me $100. It looks like it isn't on the Walmart/Target/Costco generic plan, so this and the health insurance premiums will eat up 30% or more of my unemployment..
BTW - I did experience an odd delay in my Rx refill a few months back. I thought my pharmacy screwed up - I had no idea there was a national shortage until just doing this research.