Is Low-Ogestrel The Same As Cryselle?
In our latest question and answer, the pharmacist discusses the difference between two birth control products, Low-Ogestrel and Cryselle.
I’ve been taking Low-Ogestrel and recently the pharmacy gave me Cryselle for a refill. Are they the same? Will I still be protected when I start the Cryselle pack?
Oct 22, 2021- Cryselle is a generic version of Low-Ogestrel that contains the same active ingredients and has been proven by the FDA to work the same way in your body. The only differences between them are inactive ingredients like dyes and fillers, which don't affect how the medication works for most people. You can safely switch between these two medications without losing pregnancy protection as long as you take your pills on schedule.
Hi Bella and thanks for writing to us. It sounds like your pharmacist did dispense the correct medication to you and it’s something that I have also done hundreds of times. Cryselle is simply a generic product for Low-Ogestrel.
Comparing Low-Ogestrel and Cryselle
Both Low-Ogestrel and Cryselle contain the same amount of the active drug (norgestrel, and ethinyl estradiol), and are considered to be AB-rated by the FDA.
This means that both products contain the same amount of the same drugs (i.e. the active ingredients are the same), and they have undergone extensive testing to show that they are equivalent to each other. They can be substituted since they are considered to be therapeutically equivalent.
The only difference in these products might be the inactive ingredients in the drugs.
Inactive ingredients don’t have any effect on the action of the drug itself, but they may be there to add mass to the tablet, a dye to change the color of the tablet, help to preserve its shelf life, help it to dissolve quickly in your stomach, or a number of other things.
For the vast majority of people, the inactive ingredients shouldn’t matter or play any real impact on the action of the drug.
Generic Birth Control Products
You might also think to yourself, why does my birth control pill have so many names? It’s actually a safety feature!
There are only a few different estrogens and progestins that are combined in slightly different combinations or doses. The “birth control section” of my pharmacy would be a confusing mess if these drugs were only listed by their generic names.
On that note, you might see these different names in the future, but they are all the same drug, equivalent to your Low-Ogestrel and Cryselle: Elinest, Lo/Ovral, or Norgestrel/EE, or possibly others. They are all the same drug, but they just have a different manufacturer.
Since it is the same medication, as long as you haven’t missed a dose, and you start your new pack on time, you should still be protected from pregnancy.
Final Words
A final thing I'll say here is you'll want to make sure your doctor didn't specify to the pharmacy that they only wanted you to have the brand name, Low-Ogestrel.
Many states have generic substitution laws that require the generic be dispensed if the doctor doesn't indicate brand only.
Due to the fact you've already been getting the brand name, I'd want to make sure the doctor didn't indicate brand only. Perhaps you've been getting the brand due to your insurance formulary, but again, I'd just double-check.
Thanks again for writing to us and I hope this helps!
References & sources
- Orange Book: Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations. — FDA
- Comparison of Oral Contraceptives and Non-Oral Alternatives. — Pharmacist’s Letter (subscription required)
- Inactive Ingredients — Drugs.com
Glossary — Terms in This Answer
- Generic product
- A medication that contains the same active ingredients as a brand-name drug but is typically made by a different manufacturer and costs less.
- AB-rated
- An FDA designation indicating that two drug products are bioequivalent and can be safely substituted for each other.
- Active ingredients
- The chemical components in a medication that actually treat or prevent the medical condition.
- Therapeutically equivalent
- Two medications that produce the same clinical effect in patients because they contain equivalent amounts of the same active drugs.
- Inactive ingredients
- Substances added to a medication that do not treat the condition but serve purposes like adding bulk, coloring, preserving, or helping the tablet dissolve.
- Progestins
- Synthetic hormones that mimic progesterone and are used in birth control pills to prevent pregnancy.
- Generic substitution laws
- State regulations that allow or require pharmacists to dispense a generic version of a medication unless the doctor specifically requests the brand name only.
- Formulary
- A list of medications that an insurance company covers, which determines which drugs your pharmacy will provide under your insurance plan.
Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD
Doctor of Pharmacy, board certified clinical pharmacist (BCPS), American Herbalist Guild, Medication Therapy Management certified
Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS, is a licensed pharmacist with more than 13 years of experience across retail pharmacy, clinical pharmacy, medication safety, pharmacy program development, and healthcare administration. He is the founder of HelloPharmacist.com, where he helps patients...
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