Ms Kathy Maher:

No. We do not. As a medicines expert, we spend our time with our patients and if there has to be a brand change, we explain why that is. Generics have to be similar or almost identical to the branded product in terms of medicines, taking the high-tech out of it. With the exception of certain medicines such as anti-epileptics and digoxin, we never interchange certain medicines. For the most part, we always explain to patients when there is a change and we reassure them that it may just be the excipient that is different, such as the lactose or whatever is used to compound the medicine. It is nearly always the same.