> >At 19:45 07/17/97 -0500, D.J.Cohoon wrote:
> >I have been taking Synthroid .1mg.  I had my Rx refilled and
> >the medication says L-Thyroxine. Is this the same or did the
> >doctor change my medication? Is this a generic, the cost was
> >cheeper? Should I have any concernes?

According to the "CPS: Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties"
(the Canadian listing of all drugs manufactured and sold in Canada.  It
is equivalent to the "PDR: Physician's Desk Reference" or the "USPDI" in
the USA), Synthroid IS levothyroxine.  L-thyroxine is the proper name
for T4.

There are two names assigned to drugs in their journey toward approval
for use:  the non-proprietary name (in this case levothyroxine sodium
for Synthroid) and the proprietary name (the name under which the drug
company who manufactures the product will sell the item -- in this case
Synthroid).  This should also serve as a caveat for anyone doing
database searches for these drugs:  both names should be entered to
ensure full retrieval.

If you have any concerns that you are being given a generic drug instead
of a brand name, take a pill to your medical library or your pharmacist.
They have books there (like the CPS, PDR, or USPDI) which contain
"product recognition sections" where the size, shape, and colour of the
pill can be compared against a picture to ensure that you are getting
exactly what your doctor has prescribed.

Karen
Halifax, NS, Canada
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