Is Generic Kadian Available Now? (Page 3)
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Has the generic Kadian been approved and is it now available?identifyvea

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32

I was given 40 kadians for my Jan. refill and told that the other twenty would be generic when they came in. Well I went into withdrawels with watsons crap and called my insurance and was told no they did not require me to change, so my wife went back to my doc and got a Kadan script and we switched Pharmacies and all isas was. Why would Walgreens tell me something my iinsurance did not require and put me through hell?
Now I deal with a small pharmacy andcan only figure that Watson was allowing Walgreens more profit and therefore screw the little guy. Well not this guy but am interested if anyone else has had a similar experience.

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31

I was on the PAP with Actavis for the Kadian 100 mg 2 X's daily for about 4 years. When the program ended in Dec, My doctor prescribed MS-CONTIN (Morphine Sulfate is the generic form) 100mg 2 X's daily.. This is my 3rd dose of the Morphine Sulfate ER and I am a mess, unbelievable nausea, Sweating, mouth watering, headache, pain, feeling completely ""drunk" and "out of it" .. ALL DAY When I spoke to the pharmacist about my concerns, she said it "IS" the equivalent to Kadian but I would still have the side effects, My thought is IF MScontin is the SAME as Kadian, then Why am I having the terrible side effects?? She couldn't really explain that but she said that it would take 1 to 2 weeks for my system to adjust to it, I had started taking Kadian when I could no longer benefit from the DURAGESIC patches, and when I changed over, there were absolutely NO side effects what so ever, it was a very pleasant and undisturbed transition.however, this is to say the least HORRIBLE.... as far as the costs, I called CVS they wanted $ 275. for a 30 day supply (60 tabs) then called Walmart they quoted a WHOPPING $1,182.73 for 30 days( I bout pissed myself..LOL) then I called Walgreens, they said to join their prescription savings plan for a nominal fee of $5.00 and I could get my 30 day supply of Morphine Sulfate ER for $129.99 ...without being on their "plan" the cost was $ 272... I would like to know where the "hello" Walmart gets off charging such a ridiculous price when everyone else is pretty much wihtin a few dollars of each other??... I hope this helps anyone else.I don't know whether to "wait" this out and see if the side effects clear up or maybe get the does lowered but like I said earlier, I JUST started this prescription and if I change the dosage, then I just wasted $134 (minus 3 pills) Oh yea, and the pharmacist said you can't cut them in half so I guess we are all just SCREWED once again I feel by the drug companies, etc... ( I am a bit bitter at this point so PLEASE forgive me)

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30

I've been using geneic Kadian for 4 months now and do not notice any difference between generic nd brand name. Really strange though as the capsules are the exact same pink color and actually say Kadian on the capsule yet they are labeled as geneic Morphine Sulfate ER. Perhaps the maker is the same company ?..

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29

I live in Fla as well and I tried the route of saving Medically Necessary written on my prescription and my particular insurance company, Tricare, would not go for it at all. So in my situation, it did not work but it may be different with other insurance companies.

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28

Wow, my heart goes out to you both. I'm on the other end of the country, and I haven't had to drive 120 miles, but it's ridiculous that you've had to risk going into withdrawal in order to get your meds. I was irritated that insurance gave pharmacies no time to find (and order and stock) the generic before saying they wouldn't pay for the name-brand. In CA, I have to see the doc every month to get my prescription, and get it filled. I'm not able to get any advance supply, and I worry that if (God forbid) the poop hits the fan, and for some reason I'm unable to get my meds - I have no reserves. It's scary being so dependent for day-to-day pain relief.

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27

It has just been so horrible here in Florida since generic Kadian started being manufactured in Nov11. I use the 60mg generic Kadian as my insurance company (Tricare) refuses to pay the rediculous cost of the brand name. The problem here in the Lakeland (central) area is that no one carries it yet. I spend days on the phone calling all of the (acceptable) pharmacies and usually have to special order in advance. The pharmacies here are really liery about inquiries over the phone so many you just have to drive to, in pain, and take the time to inquire if your meds are in stock. Last month I had to drive 120 miles out of county because of course they date prescriptions here and there's NO working ahead of time, so you are locked in to THAT date. So...what I am forced to do is go without some evening doses so I can get ahead of the game with a few extra pills ahead, then pray I find GENERIC Kadian before withdraws set in. I really hate how things are so tightly controlled here but I try to understand that there are abusers and rules to control them. Kadan has been a life saver but I will be so glad when I can finally get my body fixed enough to be able to go without ANY pain meds. God please let tat day come soon.

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26

Hi, I have been taking Kadian for over 2 years now and I am on Worker's Compensation. Since they heard that a generic had come out for Kadian they will only cover the generic. I heard that if the doctor write "medically necessary" on the script that according to Florida law (where I live) they have to pay for the original Kadian. Does anyone know if this is true? I can't even find the generic 20mg Kadian anywhere that I live and Walgreen told me they are not even able to order it because they are only carrying the 30mg generic at this time..it can't be ordered either since it is not even in their warehouse! It wouldn't seem ethical to mandate that the doctor increase my 20mg to 30mg just to pay the generic price? Any info would really be appreciated! Thanks so much.

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25

I thought the generic was made by Watson, and the brand was developed by Aventis. I would think that Watson would not be able to use the name "kadian" without violating trademark. Could it be that your pharmacy just didn't carry the generic and so they filled it with brand but only charged you the generic co-pay? It is not unheard of though for the company that makes the brand also be the one to make the first generic with the same factory and process in order to still keep a large market-share whether brand or generic. I know this is true for the anti-depressant Effexor XR. Well, I'll be getting the generic on the 1st so I'll post whether mine looks the same as well or whether my suspicions are true as stated above.

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24

Hi - I've been on the "generic" for 2 months now, and I'll tell you - it's the exact same medication, in my case. I mean EXACT. I take 80 mg capsules, which are melon colored, and the "generic" are the same color, they say "Kadian" and 80mg. I think the manufacturer just dropped the patent, and still make the medication.

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23

I'm still not sure, but went thru quite an ordeal getting my rx for Kadian this week. The pharmacy charged me an exuberant amount for my rx and we had to go to heads with them about the abuse they were dishing out. I was told that there was a generic that just came out, but have not seen actual proof of this.....

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22

PAPnomore, yes they are both extended release morphine sulfate, but the way they are absorbed by the body is very different. This should be evident by the fact that a tablet has to dissolve whereas Kadian just has a thin capsule filled with the tiny spheres of medication. Before being on Kadian, I was on MS Contin and I can assure you that there is a huge difference in the way my body responded to treatment. I don't know if your doctor is correct regarding the tablet releasing medication more quickly but even if he is, that's a BAD thing, in my opinion. These are long-acting opiates, I don't want it to release medication FASTER, I want it to control my pain LONGER.

I'm in the same boat as everybody. I just went to fill my Kadian last night and was told that I'd be paying a higher co-pay unless I opted for the generic. I have the same doubts as TeeTee - it makes me nervous to switch to a generic medication. I pick up the new prescription on Monday and I'll let you know if I notice any difference.

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21

Has anyone who has started on this new generic noticed any difference in their pain control? I had terrible pain control on the old generic MS sustained/extended release tables and had to switch back to brand Kadian despite the higher co-pay. However, my insurance has now informed me that they will no longer pay for the brand Kadian because of the new generic. I am afraid to take this new generic because of my bad experiences with the old generic tablets. Can anyone ease my mind that I will still have the same pain control effect?

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20

I had been on the Actavis (previously Alpharma) Patient Assistance Program for almost 7 years. November 15 I received a letter informing me that November 10 the FDA gave permission for Kadian to be available as a generic, and that the Actavis Patient Assistance Program would end as of December 31, 2011.

I was able to get one last month of Kadian before their programs was over. I had to get Medicare Part D insurance, which I will be penalized for not taking Part D when it was first offered. Next month when I go to my pain clinic we will discussing what alternatives there might be for me.

I did write to Actavis thanking them for having the PAP but thought that it was so very unfair to give only a 45 day notice that the PAP was stopping. I told them that they should have at least given a 3 month window, it didn't do me any good because I did not get a response, only my last script of Kadian.

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19

I just received my wife's prescription for Kadian 20 mg from the Mail order pharmacy. We were shocked to see morphine ER capsule 20 mg on the receipt. Didn't know there was a generic version out. Thanks for confirming the information.

She takes two tablets a day, and she had a prescription was for 180 capsules. We were charged $40 for the three month supply. Generics normally cost $20 on our insurance plan. So I guess there's still some special handling on.

Hopefully you will see relief soon at retial stores.

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18

Jake: Tablet or capsule, they are both extended release morphine sulfate. I don't understand what you are saying about them being different. My doc told me that the tablet form starts releasing the medication more quickly than the capsule form. As I said before, I talked with my pharmacist about this. When I saw my doctor, he prescribed MS Contin (generic). With my discount card, it cost me $75 for a one month supply. Yes, this is a bit of a hardship compared to being on the PAP but a whole lot better than generic Kadian for $600.

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17

There are two companies with a generic Kadian: Actavis (which makes the brand name) and Watson. My copay for the generic is the same as the brand name. One big difference: the $50 discount card made the brand cheaper. This is not a savings. Tablet form of sustained release morphine is not equivalent to Kadian. The mechanism for the sustained release is different so it can not be dispensed as a generic for Kadian. Losing my insurance. Now it's on to methadone.

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16

I contacted Rite Aid today and they told me that a generic for Kadian is now available according to their system and will be ordering it for me. Yay! No more huge co pay. Just a slightly less huge co pay! :(

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15

Kadian has a generic alternative: it's morphine suis er caps. Most pharmacies don't have them yet, I just picked up a "script" of Kadian and the price jumped from $20 to $80! When I called my insurance company they said the increase was due to there being a generic Kadian. I called my pharmacy and they were going to order some for my next month supply. For you people without insurance the pharmacy said the generic price was not a big drop from the name brand.

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14

The problem is the capsule form. I talked with my pharmacist about this. Generic morphine sulfate extended release in capsule form is very expensive. Tablets (MS Contin) on the other hand are less expensive, $600 or so (generai capsule) versus $150 (general tablet). If anyone has more information, please share as I see my doctor next week and need all the information I can get.

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13

i was told today by my pharmist that generic became available last tuesday when he filled mine today i got the original but was charged generic price

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