Generic Armour Thyroid: An Overview
Armour
® Thyroid (
thyroid USP) is a prescription thyroid medication. It is approved for the treatment of an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), as well as a few other thyroid problems.
Armour Thyroid is manufactured by Forest Laboratories, Inc. Although there are generic medications that contain the same active ingredients as Armour Thyroid, it is difficult to know if these products are equivalent to Armour Thyroid.
The Problem With Generic Armour Thyroid
Many people are unaware that many prescription medications (usually old medications) have never been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Almost always, these medications were already around before many of the laws and regulations were established. Armour Thyroid, as well as all other thyroid USP medications, has never been approved by the FDA, despite what you may read on the Internet. Because they were not approved by the FDA, there was no way to know if any of these products were equivalent, since the FDA makes this decision.
Some states have laws that permit generic substitution only if the FDA determines that the generic version is equivalent to the brand-name drug. In these states, generic thyroid USP products cannot be automatically dispensed in place of Armour Thyroid, unless a new prescription is obtained. Other states leave this up to the discretion of your pharmacist. Either way, many people are more comfortable staying with brand-name Armour Thyroid, especially since it is already a fairly inexpensive medication.
