Prograf and You
Your immune system is your body's defense against things that can cause infection and disease. Unfortunately, it can't tell the difference between a harmful virus or bacteria and your new organ, so its natural response is to reject it.
That's why different types of medications will be prescribed to help prevent rejection post-transplant and keep your new organ healthy. These medications are called anti-rejection medications, or immunosuppressive drugs.
For some medications, your doctor may want you to take a brand name drug. For other medications, your doctor may want you to take a generic drug. Prograf is a brand name anti-rejection medication that your transplant team may prescribe to help protect your new organ.
Be sure to check your medications as soon as you get them. In most cases, pharmacists or pharmacy personnel are not required to tell you or your doctor if they decide to substitute a generic drug for the Prograf that you and your transplant team have decided upon.
Retail and mail-order pharmacies in many states are permitted—and are sometimes required—to fill all prescriptions with generic drugs unless your doctor indicates brand name Prograf only on your prescription. You can also tell your pharmacist you want brand name Prograf.
Always check your medications
A generic drug is a copy of a brand name drug that is the same in dosage, safety, strength, way it is taken, quality, performance, and intended use. Generics have the same active ingredients as their brand counterparts, but may have differences in the inactive ingredients. A generic drug can be approved for marketing once the patent on the brand name drug has expired.
Brand name drugs have costs associated with the discovery, development, and multi-phase clinical testing required to bring a new drug to the market. Generics cost less because generic manufacturers don't have to repeat extensive clinical trial programs or take on the investment costs of researching and developing a new drug.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires brand name drugs and generic drugs to be safe—both products are expected to meet the same standards of strength, purity, effectiveness, manufacturing, and quality controls. Generic drugs are considered bioequivalent based on studies conduct in 24-36 healthy volunteers. The FDA relies on the safety and efficacy studies conducted by the manufacturer of the brand to establish the safety and efficacy of the generic medication.1,2
It is important to be aware that although generic tacrolimus products are approved based on their bioequivalence to Prograf, they are not required to show bioequivalence to each other.1
Be proactive about your medications. Find out what steps to take at your doctor's office and pharmacy. Learn more.
Download these informative brochures about Prograf and being an empowered transplant recipient.
References: 1. US Department of Health and Human Services. Approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence evaluations (Orange Book). 31st ed. Rockville, MD: Center for Drug Evaluation and Research; 2011. 2. Vasquez EM, Min DI. Transplant pharmacists' opinions on generic product selection of critical-dose drugs. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 1999;56(7):615-621.
