Is this Metformin legit?

[Samika]

Hi all, I ordered some metformin online from Thailand and I received this metformin (see attached pictures) Is this a legitimate brand and is it normal for the tablet not to be stamped? Does it look like this the packaging ? Appreciate if anyone else has experience with this same metformin tablet brand ? See attached picture I am suspicious 

 

thanks for your help 

[Sheryl]

There is a brand of Metformin made in Thailand called "Miformin" made by Greater Pharma and it does come in 850mg dose.

 

I can't tell from your picture what is written in the circles on the packaging, is it "Greater"? (should be).

 

And I can't tell you what the pills should look like.  But it is unsual not to have dosage marked on a pill.

 

you can see a pix of the box it comes in one the manufacturer's site  http://www.greaterpharma.com/product/pro_detail.php?cid=12&cid_pr=12&pid=141&cname=ORAL ANTIDIABETIC AGENTS&show=0

 

 

[KhunBENQ]

23 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

There is a brand of Metformin made in Thailand called "Miformin" made by Greater Pharma and it does come in 850mg dose.

"Greater" this could well be what is on the blister?:

 

Edited January 23, 2019 by KhunBENQ

[lopburi3]

A caution that the web site is not only bad detail it appears to be 9 years old so current packaging may well be totally different.  As this is a very inexpensive medication expect it is real.

[KhunBENQ]

It's not unusual in Thailand that a single blister strip from a big pack is sold.

 

Older thread on that:

On their website they show both 500 mg and 850 mg tablets:

http://www.greaterpharma.com/product/pro_detail.php?cid=12&cid_pr=12&pid=141&cname=ORAL ANTIDIABETIC AGENTS&show=0

Edited January 23, 2019 by KhunBENQ

[kkerry]

Do a Google image search. Most tablets are similar to the photo below, with 850 or 500 clearly marked on each tablet, or, they have other markings. See if you can find one that looks like yours and visit the website to find out more.

 

The other thing of concern is the quality of the printing on the blister pack. Possibly it's a low resolution photo but whenever I see printing like that it suggests to me it originates from a low quality scan of the original. KuhnBENQ even has to highlight to Sheryl the word Greater, that's how bad it is. Regardless of whether it is cheap or not, the printing is not to the standard you would expect from a genuine manufacturer. If genuine, and I doubt it, a problem with the clarity of printing like that should not get past quality control. The use by date is 2023 so it's unlikely the printing has degraded already.

 

I just looked at some 10 baht strips of Vitamin B tablets I have and the much smaller printing is sharp and clear, not like in the photo. Printing like that on any product packaging, plastic goods, electronics etc. it's what you find on Chinese copies. I'd want to see a photo of this product purchased from somewhere reputable like Boots to compare with before I would accept it as genuine.

 

 

Edited January 23, 2019 by kkerry

[billd766]

I use a generic form of Metformin recomennded by my doctor called Glucophage 500 and in the 500 mg form.

 

It is an OTC medicine that can be bought at a lot of pharmacies with no prescription at 27 baht for a strip of 10.

[lopburi3]

11 minutes ago, billd766 said:

I use a generic form of Metformin recomennded by my doctor called Glucophage 500 and in the 500 mg form.

 

It is an OTC medicine that can be bought at a lot of pharmacies with no prescription at 27 baht for a strip of 10.

And suspect that is a higher priced version - drugstore bangkok sells metformin online at 15 baht per strip of 10.

Metformin 850 mg 10’s

฿15.00

[tutsiwarrior]

I always get the local generic Siamformet, comes in 500 and 850mg tabs and a lot cheaper than Glucophage...dosages are always marked on the tab...available most anywhere...

 

remember yer kidneys and liver...there is a limit to how much of this stuff you can take every day...had a discussion with a saudi lady doc about this and the trade off with insulin some years ago...metformin is a blood glucose suppressor unlike the insulin that yer pancreas usually produces and they work differently...the metformin puts a load on yer other organs that wouldn't normally be there...

 

 

 

 

[Oxx]

There's an image of the tablets at https://drugiden.ubu.ac.th/?gn=1187  They are unstamped.

[Samika]

23 hours ago, Sheryl said:

There is a brand of Metformin made in Thailand called "Miformin" made by Greater Pharma and it does come in 850mg dose.

 

I can't tell from your picture what is written in the circles on the packaging, is it "Greater"? (should be).

 

And I can't tell you what the pills should look like.  But it is unsual not to have dosage marked on a pill.

 

you can see a pix of the box it comes in one the manufacturer's site  http://www.greaterpharma.com/product/pro_detail.php?cid=12&cid_pr=12&pid=141&cname=ORAL ANTIDIABETIC AGENTS&show=0

 

 

Yes it says greater on the back of them the logo is very small print and hard to read 

 

the picture on the greater pharma website is very low quality hard to tell

[Samika]

 

21 hours ago, kkerry said:

Do a Google image search. Most tablets are similar to the photo below, with 850 or 500 clearly marked on each tablet, or, they have other markings. See if you can find one that looks like yours and visit the website to find out more.

 

The other thing of concern is the quality of the printing on the blister pack. Possibly it's a low resolution photo but whenever I see printing like that it suggests to me it originates from a low quality scan of the original. KuhnBENQ even has to highlight to Sheryl the word Greater, that's how bad it is. Regardless of whether it is cheap or not, the printing is not to the standard you would expect from a genuine manufacturer. If genuine, and I doubt it, a problem with the clarity of printing like that should not get past quality control. The use by date is 2023 so it's unlikely the printing has degraded already.

 

I just looked at some 10 baht strips of Vitamin B tablets I have and the much smaller printing is sharp and clear, not like in the photo. Printing like that on any product packaging, plastic goods, electronics etc. it's what you find on Chinese copies. I'd want to see a photo of this product purchased from somewhere reputable like Boots to compare with before I would accept it as genuine.

 

 

Thanks, yes I am unable to find a good picture of the packaging blister pack of greater pharma 850MG to compare with. 

 

The greater pharma website has a really old picture with some boxes zoomed far away 

Edited January 24, 2019 by Samika

[Samika]

6 hours ago, Oxx said:

There's an image of the tablets at https://drugiden.ubu.ac.th/?gn=1187  They are unstamped.

Thanks Oxx, good find. So that means greater pharma dont stamp the actual tablets with the 850 dosage. 

 

To fully rule it out if someone has personal experience with greater pharma metformin packaging and tablet can confirm it would be amazing 

[ivor bigun]

I get the genuine one from farcino 850 baht for 500.

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[kkerry]

1 hour ago, ivor bigun said:

I get the genuine one from farcino 850 baht for 500.

Does the product pictured in the original post look the same as yours... if not, then what is different about it?

[ivor bigun]

Does the product pictured in the original post look the same as yours... if not, then what is different about it?

No it does not look like that ,its called glucono 500mg, made by seven stars pharmaceutical co Thailand,ive taken them for about 4 years as i was pre diabetic ,my blood sugar now is normal .do you know that they are testing metformin as a life extending drug? Seems people who take it even if not diabetic live longer?

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[Sheryl]

You are taking a different brand than the one OP is asking about.

 

OP -- as we have now established that these tablets do indeed come unmarked, and as it is an inexpensive Thai made brand, odds are it is genuine (very little profit margin to be had in counterfeiting it). If I were you I'd proceed and just closely monitor my blood sugar for the first few days.

 

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[ivor bigun]

You are taking a different brand than the one OP is asking about.
 
OP -- as we have now established that these tablets do indeed come unmarked, and as it is an inexpensive Thai made brand, odds are it is genuine (very little profit margin to be had in counterfeiting it). If I were you I'd proceed and just closely monitor my blood sugar for the first few days.
 
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Yes they are so cheap about 1.5 baht,not worth countrfitting

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[Samika]

Thanks for your answers everyone, based on your answers and help it appears this is legit 

[Bazle]

On 1/25/2019 at 6:22 PM, ivor bigun said:

I get the genuine one from farcino 850 baht for 500.
 

 

On 1/25/2019 at 9:48 PM, ivor bigun said:

..... its called glucono 500mg, made by seven stars pharmaceutical co Thailand, ....
 

In case it is of interest to anyone, I have just been to Fascino and paid 840 THB for 300 x 850mg tablets called Glucino 850, made by Seven Stars Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

[billd766]

1 hour ago, Bazle said:

 

In case it is of interest to anyone, I have just been to Fascino and paid 840 THB for 300 x 850mg tablets called Glucino 850, made by Seven Stars Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

My doctor told me that generic Metformin is called Glucophage. They come in strips of 10 in a sort of gold colour foil. I usually order 10 strips at a time and they cost 230 baht or 23 baht per strip.

[ThaiBunny]

6 minutes ago, billd766 said:

My doctor told me that generic Metformin is called Glucophage. They come in strips of 10 in a sort of gold colour foil. I usually order 10 strips at a time and they cost 230 baht or 23 baht per strip.

I'd be inclined to change your doctor. The generic name for metformin is metformin. "Glucophage" is a brand of metformin - https://www.healthline.com/health/diabetes/metformin-side-effects