<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Just to give you a little background on drug ingredients since I've seen 
some confusion on here lately:

Generic drugs (ie: sucralfate) can be made by several 
manufacturers/companies.  The FDA only requires that their "active" 
ingredients (the ones that make the drug work in the body) be equivalent 
(meaning as effective) to the brand name drug (ie: Carafate).  The 
"inactive" ingredients are the types of things that help the active 
ingredient remain in a pill form, a capsule, liquid or gel, etc.  These 
can vary widely among companies and are definitely not the same thing. The 
most obvious thing to look out for would be starches that are not 
identified by type (corn, wheat, etc).  Many people say that the generic 
is the same as the brand--and for most people this is true--as most people 
won't notice a difference between the generic and the brand.  However, for 
those with allergies/intolerances, it is definitely NOT the case.

It's kind of like having General Mills Rice Chex (brand name) and 
comparing it to the Wal-mart generic, the local grocery store generic, and 
the organic company's version.  They all seem to be like rice chex, but 
they may have different ingredients--For instance the barley malt extract 
in Rice Chex vs the organic version without any.

It is difficult sometimes to get a hold of a generic company's phone 
number to inquire on ingredients.  If you have time, ask your pharmacist 
the company name who makes the drug that the pharmacy carries before 
filling your Rx if you can.  Not all pharmacies will carry the same 
generics (and sometimes the pharmacies will change where they obtain their 
generics!)  I always google search "*Company Name* Medical Communications 
800" and can usually find a phone number for the Medical Communications 
dept that way.  The medical communications department usually answers 
ingredient and product questions.  Some of the smaller companies will just 
have a customer service number instead of Medical Communications. 

I always try to get a look at the inactive ingredient list before calling 
the company to see if there are any questionable products (starch) before 
I call, as sometimes, I haven't gotten a person who knows what "gluten" 
is.  Then I can ask specifically about the source of the starch as well. I 
don't rely general websites for this list.  I sometimes go to the company 
website (The inactive ingredients are usually listed in the Prescribing 
Information). 

Additionally the government has set up the DailyMed website with FDA 
approved drug labels (where you can search the inactive ingredients): 
http://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/about.cfm

 Alternatively, if you have access to a library, try the Physician's Desk 
Reference (PDR) which lists almost every drug by every company and their 
phone numbers (it's a large reference book).  This is available online but 
there's a fee (I had it through work at one point.)

I know it can be frustrating and confusing at times.  Best of luck to 
you!!!

Angela in NJ






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