What’s Changed?
- REVLIMID® is the brand of your medicine containing the active ingredient lenalidomide.
Alternative lenalidomide-containing medicines (generics) are now available. - Generics are medicines with the same active ingredient as the originator brand, but they are manufactured and sold by different companies, and have a different brand name.
- Some hospital pharmacies may no longer stock the REVLIMID® brand and only keep generics. Some pharmacists may offer to substitute your medicine with a generic.
Your Rights
If you and your specialist have decided that your treatment should be with REVLIMID®, you have the right to ask your pharmacist for the REVLIMID® brand by name.
For more information about generics and your rights when it comes to brand substitution, click here.
Check your prescription – it should look like this:
- Your specialist should tick the box, ‘Brand substitution not permitted’, to ensure the REVLIMID® brand has been specified on your prescription.
- Ensure the REVLIMID® brand has been specified on your prescription.
You have the right to decline a pharmacist switching
your REVLIMID® treatment to a generic alternative.
Your REVLIMID® pack should look like this:
You have the right to decline a pharmacist switching
your REVLIMID® treatment to a generic alternative.
Your REVLIMID® pack should look like this:
The price of REVLIMID® for you will be the same as other generic brands of lenalidomide under the PBS*.
*PBS – Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme: a commonwealth run program that subsides medicines for Australian patients.
i-access® Patient Safety Program
- When you are initially prescribed REVLIMID®, you are enrolled in a program called
i-access ®, which is a mandatory safety program. - If you continue your REVLIMID® treatment, you will remain enrolled in the i-access® safety program without change. If you change to a generic lenalidomide medicine, you will need to consent to a new safety program specific to that generic brand.
- If you have any questions about i-access®, please email the Patient Safety team at:
iaccess-australia@bms.com or call 1800 235 436 (Option #1).
Your treatment is your choice.
What Next?
- If your hospital pharmacy can no longer dispense REVLIMID®, you are able to take your PBS prescription to a retail pharmacy and ask for it there. These pharmacies need to be registered with i-access® to dispense your treatment.
- Use the Pharmacy Finder function below to find an i-access® registered retail pharmacy near you that dispenses REVLIMID®.
