I know there’s vicodin, norco, lortab, lorcet… maybe more.
At the end of the day, they’re the same compound with different amounts of hydrocodone and APAP in each… so it appears 5/500 3/325 etc
When writing a prescription, what does a Dr. usually write? The name of the medicine; (vicodin 5/500, norco 10/325 etc) or just the compound:
(Hydrocodone/APAP 5/500 etc)?
I’ve always wondered this…
IME they write the name of the medicine, but they might allow for substitution, in which case you will get the compound. Example: I got Oxycodone/APAP 5-325mg and in parenthesis it says: Substitution for Endocet 5/325mg)
They usually write the name of the medicine they’re most familiar with, in my experience. I’ve never seen a doctor write a prescription for plain hydrocodone/APAP – any time anybody in my family has had a prescription for hydrocodone or oxycodone it’s been for Lortab, Lorcet, or Percocet.
I either write “vicodin 5/325” or “hydrocodone/APAP 5/325”, usually the former.
I avoid using the 5/500 strength as a rule, because adequate acute pain relief often requires up to 2 tabs every 4 hours, and taking that much APAP exceeds safe amounts.
I don’t care if they don’t get the brand name vicodin even if they write for it, generic substitution is fine with me.
I do hope the OP isn’t planning on using my info to help forge scrips…
Nooo of course not… just be very, very, very good friends with you.
You’re very intelligent 
Although I realize you are joking, what you are describing is a fairly common situation that occurs among those folks who can write prescriptions or dispense narcotics. As a veterinarian I’ve been approached; Qadgop?
I’ve been approached by folks who aren’t patients of mine. Rarely.
Probably because word of my response to such a request gets around.
My standard response: “Please don’t ask me for such things, because a 2 AM visit to your house by a DEA SWAT team often offends.”
Not just pretty words…
I once had a (distant) relative ask if I would get him stanozolol (an anabolic steroid prized by weight lifters). I found a ton of info about the dangers; shrunken testicles, brain cancer, emotional upheaval, skin problems. His reply was that money wasn’t a problem. Of course, I did not sell it to him, but somebody did. He moved back to Florida and hung himself in his garage, where his body was discovered by his two young sons on their return form school.
Wow, well I suppose I didn’t intend on taking such a serious turn. The past response just made me feel pretty awful.
I also didn’t realize that this would hint at a problem that physicians are encountering…
so if I may redeem myself
I asked the question based on a conversation I had and an article that was about using the names of copyrighted (or is it trademarked?) business names out of their correct context and when they aren’t refering to the company.
Two examples are Xerox and Spam.
Xerox opposes the use of the word ‘xerox’ in a generic sense, such as “mike xeroxed his derriere at the Christmas party.”
Spam encourages the use of the word spam when refering to junkmail so long as the ‘S’ is lowercase.
So I thought, with all the medications that are genericially grouped into the same category… Hydrocodone/APAP came to mind mainly, Are the Vicodin people angry that patients are told they’re receiving vicodin and physicians using the company owned name when they really mean a generic or other drug like lortab etc.
I suppose that elaboration *probably * would have made a better question to ask but I took the easier route.
I have no plans to start issuing my own script
Trademark law protects names used to indicate the origin of goods or services, such as company names and brand names.
Copyright law protects creative works, such as literature, music, etc.
Yes, they oppose it. But they can’t do anything about it except complain.
I don’t think they “encourage” any use of the word other than to indicate their goods. However, they can’t stop people from referring to unwanted electronic mail as “spam.”
I haven’t heard of a pharmaceutical company objecting to such use, but it would be interesting. I have a notion that this has been tested with regard to soft drinks. If you ask for a Coke and the restaurant doesn’t sell Coke, they’re supposed to say something along the lines of “Is Pepsi okay?,” because just giving you a Pepsi when you’ve asked for a Coke would constitute a deceptive trade practice.
Does this ‘conjure’ up an image of Lewis Black for anyone else?
I wondered the same thing.
Sorry, but there is too much of that sort of thing about now.
Many docs have poor handwriting and most are in a hurry. Poor/ illegible handwriting can and does lead to med errors. As a nurse, I look forward to the day when docs type the scripts in, straight to the pharm. Then again, I’ve caught many a wrong dose/wrong med (ex-pt allergy) that a doc has written. With the nurse out of the equation, that leaves the pharmacist as the sole gatekeeper of correct meds (if the doc has not done so). So, there is a down side. I am referring to acute care here, there usually is no nurse in outpatient med issues (except in same day surgery where I have also caught errors. Docs are human and mistakes happen. They are rare in SDS, at least so far).
ETA: I answered the wrong question–I meant this for a different thread. I think I need a script–for some Aricept! Carry on!
No, Hormel has decided that it can’t win and email isn’t what it’s selling anyway. Hormel tried to fight the use of ‘spam’ to describe UBE, but it was politely ignored. The current situation is the result of Hormel deciding that, really, there’s no way it can sue the world.