Dozens of generic drugs under recall after their maker goes bankrupt
Big Pharma’s rich get richer… as maker of affordable generics goes BELLY UP
Leave it to Big Pharma to pull the rug out from under you…
Without even so much as an APOLOGY.
The latest shenanigans happening in the world of pharmaceuticals involves the recall of DOZENS of generic drugs…
Affordable, non-brand name versions of medications that American patients have grown to RELY on.
Now, I’m all about finding NON-drug ways of treating life’s most common health concerns…
But truth is, it’s darn near impossible to avoid prescription meds altogether… especially if you’re in the care of a mainstream doc.
And with this latest recall, over 70 generic versions of common, everyday meds are being PULLED from pharmacy shelves.
It’s not just pills…
But also prescription-only and OTC nasal sprays… eye drops… and more.
This is all going down because Akorn Pharmaceuticals has filed for bankruptcy… and is SHUTTING DOWN its operations.
I can’t say I’m surprised – because not ALL pharma companies are full of fat cat billionaires. In fact, I’d consider generic drug makers to be the “middle class” of Big Pharma.
After all, generics are only allowed to come to market DECADES after a new blockbuster drug debuts…
And with the generic version comes a significant drop in price.
That means potentially a HUGE out-of-pocket cost savings for the patients who take them…
But PLUMMETING margins for the makers who offer them.
The drug companies, of course, HATE generics… and often try to “game” the system by EXTENDING their exclusivity periods…
Or even INVENTING new drug formulas so they can introduce a “breakthrough” that they can charge an arm and a leg for…
And get patients OFF of cheap generics for as long as possible.
What does this latest recall mean for you?
Well, it depends.
It COULD be as simple as not finding your normal brand of eye drops at the corner drug store. Retailers are being urged (although not REQUIRED) to STOP selling and even DESTROY their stock.
In that case, you may need to find an alternative…
Whether it’s the same med from a different generic manufacturer… or a natural solution.
But DON’T quit any drug cold turkey. SLAMMING the brakes can sometimes come with some pretty scary consequences.
I’m talking about withdrawal symptoms… rebound illness… and more.
See? That’s how they get ya.
Instead, work with your doc to WEAN yourself off in the safest way possible.
There’s another recall scenario you should know about.
MANY of these drugs are more commonly found in clinical settings… like at a surgery center or hospital… where they’re used in patient procedures. Think anesthetics… antibiotics… antiseptics… medical dyes… and more.
SOME of them might be easily swapped out. But OTHERS might already be in short supply… with no backup source to tap into.
And that’s when you’ve got to prepare yourself for when a doc or nurse looks at you and says, “I’m sorry, we’re all out of stock on what we need to treat you.”
Unfortunately, drugs – to a certain degree, anyway – are a necessary evil in today’s society. We haven’t gotten to the point where we can DETACH ourselves entirely from mainstream medicine.
But my takeaway from this generic recall… which is the first of its kind, EVER… is that it’s yet ANOTHER reason for us to NOT put all our eggs in the pharma basket when it comes to maintaining our health.
The good news is, this recall actually has NOTHING to do with the drugs themselves. Unlike with other recalls, these meds aren’t EXPIRED… or CONTAMINATED… or associated with NEW health risks.
But when the drug company isn’t around, it just can’t guarantee that something WON’T go wrong. And if it does, there’s nobody to stand behind those products and do anything about it.
So, Akorn is just trying to cover its rear end.
Your best bet moving forward is to check out the list of recalled drugs in the press release… and then give your medicine cabinet a gander to see if anything you’ve got matches up with the recall.
Then ask your doc if he thinks you should keep using it… or toss it in the circular file.
For better health,
Dr. Marc Micozzi