Hi, pharmacist here. I wanted to clarify that the “discontinuation” you saw on the FDA website regarding sertraline does not mean the drug has been taken off the market. It simply indicates that one manufacturer—Strides Pharma Inc.—has recently stopped producing all strengths of sertraline tablets (25 mg, 50 mg, and 100 mg).
Sertraline is a widely used generic medication, and many other manufacturers continue to produce it.
I would like to add to this that these companies were all under investigation for price fixing. Minimizing who manufacturers what generics is one of the ways they pushed prices up.
I’m not a doctor or pharmacist, so I can’t give you medical advice, but if I were you I would contact your doctor’s office and ask.
Sometimes pharmacists can recommend an exchange, but it’s best to first check with your doctor. Typically it’s just a matter of getting a generic or different brand, but they will know best what the options are. It can be a headache though if one option is covered and one is not. You will have to check with your insurance company to find out if it is covered. Doctors don’t know the details of your plan and could end up prescribing something not covered. Pharmacists can often help with finding drugs that are interchangeable.
Thanks, weird that Sertraline HCL says something like discontinued. Wonder if it means that its being substituted by something else?
Hi, pharmacist here. I wanted to clarify that the “discontinuation” you saw on the FDA website regarding sertraline does not mean the drug has been taken off the market. It simply indicates that one manufacturer—Strides Pharma Inc.—has recently stopped producing all strengths of sertraline tablets (25 mg, 50 mg, and 100 mg).
Sertraline is a widely used generic medication, and many other manufacturers continue to produce it.
I would like to add to this that these companies were all under investigation for price fixing. Minimizing who manufacturers what generics is one of the ways they pushed prices up.
I’m not a doctor or pharmacist, so I can’t give you medical advice, but if I were you I would contact your doctor’s office and ask.
Sometimes pharmacists can recommend an exchange, but it’s best to first check with your doctor. Typically it’s just a matter of getting a generic or different brand, but they will know best what the options are. It can be a headache though if one option is covered and one is not. You will have to check with your insurance company to find out if it is covered. Doctors don’t know the details of your plan and could end up prescribing something not covered. Pharmacists can often help with finding drugs that are interchangeable.