Generic option for Fosamax / Fosamax Plus available in TH?

[DUS]

Hi,

 

I will soon start taking Fosamax against osteoporosis and just bought a box of 4 pills for TBH 1,750 at a local pharmacy.

 

I´ve only been to 2 pharmacies so far today but both pharmacists said that they were not aware of a generic alternativ to MSD´s "original" product. Well, maybe there arent´ any or maybe they just make more money by selling the higher priced "original". I checked a website for my home country back in Europe and saw a lot of alternatives being advertised for a fraction of the price I paid here. Now, before I even start contemplating "importing" meds to TH, I thought I ask members of this forum if you are aware of a generic product available locally here in TH. If so, I´d be delighted to hear from you. Thank you!

 

Cheers,
DUS

[skatewash]

You may wish to follow the linked advice.  One place to check for price is the medisafe pharmacy (in Bangkok, but will ship via EMS, 40 baht) on facebook.  Just tell them what you are looking for and ask for any generic prices as well.  Use messenger/chat feature at the following site:

https://www.facebook.com/Medisafe.Pharmacy.Rama4

Response typically within an hour during business hours.

[DUS]

Thank you so much, @skatewash

[DUS]

I would like to add a general question about generics:

 

Earlier today, when I asked the Endocrinologist about MSD´s Fosamax vs generics, she said that she personally would rather buy "the original" than a local generic because she wasn´t 100% convinced the ingredients as well as the clinically proven results are identical. As a layman I had always expected generics to be a 100% clone of the formerly patented product but based on what she said, I might have been wrong.

 

I will still never hesitate to take cheap generics for paracetamol and basic ailments but after what the doctor said earlier, I now wonder if taking generics for a slightly "more critical" condition such as osteoporosis poses the risk of taking less effective medication or not.

 

What are the opinions on this here in the forum?

Edited October 5, 2022 by DUS

[ukrules]

6 minutes ago, DUS said:

Earlier today, when I asked the Endocrinologist about MSD´s Fosamax vs generics, she said that she personally would rather buy "the original" than a local generic because she wasn´t 100% convinced the ingredients as well as the clinically proven results are identical.

Time to get a new Doctor and stop listening to that one she's clearly a bit dim.

 

Everything on sale is approved by the FDA, if she was worried about counterfeits entering the supply chain then I could perhaps sympathise but not trusting them for reasons like this is just dumb.

[skatewash]

28 minutes ago, DUS said:

I would like to add a general question about generics:

 

Earlier today, when I asked the Endocrinologist about MSD´s Fosamax vs generics, she said that she personally would rather buy "the original" than a local generic because she wasn´t 100% convinced the ingredients as well as the clinically proven results are identical. As a layman I had always expected generics to be a 100% clone of the formerly patented product but based on what she said, I might have been wrong.

 

I will still never hesitate to take cheap generics for paracetamol and basic ailments but after what the doctor said earlier, I now wonder if taking generics for a slightly "more critical" condition such as osteoporosis poses the risk of taking less effective medication or not.

 

What are the opinions on this here in the forum?

Almost all my meds are generics produced in Thailand.  In my case I am able to verify their effectiveness through things like taking my blood pressure at home and taking blood tests at labs.  I don't know how easy it is to test for osteoporosis but maybe there is a test that will give you peace of mind.

 

The primary reason original drugs are so expensive is to compensate the pharmaceutical companies for the astronomical costs of creating new drugs.  Generics don't have those costs and that accounts for the major difference in cost.

 

Just my opinion, just what I do in my own situation.

[NancyL]

It really helps to have both a trusted pharmacist and doctors here.  Yes, there are a few drugs where the generics aren't quite the same as the brand name drugs or, for some reason, a problem develops with the generics and doctors/pharmacists start to talk among themselves about what they're seeing with their patients/customers, so it helps if you're seeing a professional who is "in the loop".  

 

Yes, there is a way to test the effectiveness of generic vs. brand name Fosamax, but it involves waiting months and having another check of your bone density.  It's not as easy as seeing if a generic blood pressure medicine has the same effect as the brand name version.

 

That being said, I took the generic version of Fosamax here in Thailand for several years after I arrived for retirement, having started it in the U.S.   I see where they're still recommending that you take Fosamax for just five years or so. 

 

My internist in the U.S. thought it best to start at the first sign of bone loss, early in menopause, rather than waiting until there were obvious signs.  He was a big advocate of having your first bone scan at the first sign of menopause, actually when your periods start getting irregular and you're not yet in menopause, to obtain a baseline reading of bone density.

[DUS]

1 hour ago, NancyL said:

 

That being said, I took the generic version of Fosamax here in Thailand for several years after I arrived for retirement, having started it in the U.S.   I see where they're still recommending that you take Fosamax for just five years or so. 

 

Thanks for your reply.

 

May I ask which generic you opted for here in TH?

 

When you had your follow-up bone densitometery tests, I hope you were satisfied with the results. Even though, of course, there isn´t necessarily a causation between this specific generic and your individual bone density. 

 

Anyway, thanks again and have a nice weekend.

[NancyL]

I don't remember which generic fosamax I used.  It was over ten years ago and the situation has probably changed.  Go with what your doctor recommends or better yet, get a second opinion if you aren't confident of your doctor yet.

[Sheryl]

There are only 3 brands of alendronate/ alendronic acid available in Thailand:

 

Alendronate Sandoz

Maxlen (made by Mega)

Fosamax Plus

 

Note that Fosamax Plus also contains a second drug, Colecalciferol which makes it more effective. There is no other brand availabel with those 2 drugs combined

 

By the way, pharmacies do nto usually make more money selling imports. In fact the profit margin may be lower, simply because the wholesale cost is so much higher.