What I find odd is that the pharmacy is claiming they did nothing wrong. I was under the impression if A doctor wrote 'No generic" on prescription that it couldn't be changed by pharmacist.

Here's an example of some of the differences-my 3 kids could all take infant Tempra and kids Tempra fine but all 3 of them reacted with rash to Tylenol. Active ingredient is the same but flavour/colouring is not.

I'm surprised that the brand matters that much, when the filler is the same, but I don't know the specifics for this drug.

I'm surprised the mistake wasn't caught sooner.  Maybe it's provincial differences, I am always shown the medication before the bag is closed up.  When something is in a blister pack, the brand is typically more noticeable than a pill bottle.  Between the man and his parents, I'm surprised that it wasn't discovered sooner.

I check things.  I've been short changed by a pharmacy more than once, getting less pills or not having the correct number of refills entered.  I've been given something in the box that didn't match the box (just lots, expiration, took me a while to pick up on that).  If the generic drug was a concern, I would probably at least take a quick glance at something.  If problems became apparent, I would definitely be double checking.

Yeah, that's really bad.  I had a doctor who had almost a signiture line about being liable for switching medications with speaking with him first.  I wish I had a copy for the wording, the extent to which it got his tone across amused me.

It worries me in general that the patient doesn't have to be told if something changes, I want to know exactly what I'm putting into myself. I feel sorry for this family.

I too found this story bothersome.  It has been known for a long time that all generics don't contain the some fillers, colorings etc as the originals.  This isn't a problem for most people but it is for some.  One of my neighbors had been taking a medication for several years.  It was changed to the generic without notifying him and he finished up in hospital because he was allergic to one of the ingredients. 

For me the major concern is with pharmacists using  patients as guinea pigs.  Where poossible the generic should be used but if it isn't the best med for some patients they should get the original.