It has been several years since this sleep medication has been on the market as a prescription drug and I know that after a certain length of time, a drug is able to be produced by other pharmaceutical companies. Just wondering if anyone knows when this is scheduled to occur.
2006-08-29 17:18:59 · 12 answers · asked by jazziejannieb 1 in Health ➔ General Health Care ➔ Other - General Health Care
My doctor said that by the start of 2007 Ambien will be able to be made into a generic medication, which is cheaper but he said nothing about it being available without prescription. If you are worried about the price the new form which is Ambien CR is actually cheaper than the regular form. I am taking that but as soon as a generic is available in the Ambien I am going to switch to that. I didn't notice a difference and I have taken both. You can also go to www.ambien.com and get a free 7 day trial for the Ambien CR, you can try it before you buy it. That is what I did as the Dr. offices don't currently get samples of it.
2006-08-29 17:24:30 · answer #1 · answered by aleynam 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've taken OTC sleep medication and it is terrible. I feel miserable the next day. However, I have hardly any side affects (at all) from Ambien. Same goes for Lunesta. Apparently Lunesta isn't as habit-forming as Ambien. They say that Ambien should only be used for short periods of times vs. long-term. My doctor says he usually prescribes it for people in the hospital, not people struggling with sleep at home.
Considering how terrible OTC sleep medication is it would be nice if at least Lunesta were available OTC. It seems to be 10x better than the other stuff that makes be feel rotten.
2006-08-29 17:26:56 · answer #2 · answered by take_me_to_the_beach 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
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Generic drugs are less expensive because generic manufacturers don't have the investment costs of the developer of a new drug. New drugs are developed under patent protection. The patent protects the investment--including research, development, marketing, and promotion--by giving the company the sole right to sell the drug. As patents near expiration, other manufacturers can apply to the FDA to sell generic versions. Because those manufacturers don't have the same development costs, they can sell their product at substantial discounts. Also, once generic drugs are approved, there is greater competition, which keeps the price down. Today, almost half of all prescriptions are filled with generic drugs.
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2014-04-06 00:53:42 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Use Yahoo Search engine and type in Ambien without a prescription and you will be surprised what will come up even NOW...
2006-08-29 18:09:51 · answer #4 · answered by kate 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's a patent you're talking about after your initial question. When the patent runs out, correct, others can make a generic form of it. For it to be over the counter, the FDA would have to decide that there's a proper reason to make it so. I haven't heard anything about the patent running out, so it might stay brand-name for at least a few more years.
2006-08-29 17:30:36 · answer #5 · answered by Paul 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
after seven years on the market, a prescription med is fair game for other companies to produce generic, but that doesn't make it safe to sell otc. ambien will be up for generic in one year.
2006-08-29 17:29:01 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree with Pangolin, all meds have side effects, some minor, some severe. and sometimes only one person has the severe. I have administered ambien to patients for years and none of them have had any problems. Its just a matter of finding what works. If you find you have severe side efffects, you try something else.
2016-03-17 04:30:11 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
ambien is a class 4 narcotic. the smaller the number, the more addictive. anything with a class rating of 1-4 will, pretty much, never be over the counter.
2006-08-29 17:24:04 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Who needs a prescription ? Just knock out the pharmacist, steal the quantity you need and run away fast. You could also counterfeit a prescription.
2006-08-29 17:21:33 · answer #9 · answered by Technotron 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
because they make a generic form of the drug does not mean it's going to be over the counter.
it probably will never, and should never be made over the counter. I can almost give you a 100% guarantee of that.
2006-08-29 17:21:36 · answer #10 · answered by banzai 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋