AboutMary E Scott, RPh, CGP Expertise I am a certified geriatric pharmacist with over 23 years experience as a long-term care consultant to nursing homes. I also do community-based consulting on an individual basis. My facility-based monthly newsletter on pharmacy topics is read by nurses in over 200 long-term care facilities in 5 states.
Experience I received a BS in Pharmacy in 1980 with post-graduate work in public health. I have had a Consultant Pharmacist license since 1984.
Organizations American Society of Consultant Pharmacists .I received certification in geriatric pharmacy in 1998.
Expert: Mary E Scott, RPh, CGP Date: 2/10/2008 Subject: color and shape available on a generic
Question I recently received a generic medication for zocor 80 mg which was distinctively
different. My question is--are generics available for zocor which are brick and
oval in shape and pink and round in shape. I just wish to be cautious since I did
receive an incorrect medication and was able to not have any problems because
I was alert to the fact that the color and shape were incorrect.
Answer HI, Mary!
Most generic drug manufacturers make their version of the drug a different color and shape due to patent protection laws. This makes it hard for the person taking the brand who then switches to the generic. If you are concerned that you did not get generic simvastatin, go back to the pharmacy and ask to see the stock bottle the medication came out of. The pharmacy should also have put an auxiliary label on your bottle that says "Tablet color or shape may be different than what you were used to" or words to that effect. This alerts customers to the fact that the generic manufacturer has changed and hence the look of the tablet has changed.
Hope this helps, Mary
