No, he doesn't. The stuff in zantac was recalled because the manufacturing process leaves it contaminated with a dangerous carcinogen. It is not even supposed to be on the shelves, generic or not. It was all over the news for months. We even got a note in the mail, because my husband was taking a prescription generic version, warning us to dispose of any we had in the house or return it to a pharmacy for destruction. If your local shops are still selling old bottles of that stuff, they should be reported to your local health department.

It can be caused by the other things too. Not just bacteria. I've been having severe stomach pain so my doctor is setting me up for a stomach scope to see if I have an ulcer. We already did the stool sample so it wouldnt be a bacteria ulcer if it is one.

I don't know about the US, but where I live the medical practitioner is responsible for his own prescription and the pharmacist shouldn't change the prescription without asking it first to the MD. So if it made such a fuss as other comments seem to indicate, he should be aware of it. In this case, though, the system worked since the right drug was (one can hope) given to the patient. I fail to see how the drug being different and twice as expensive would be the doctor's fault, though...

Doctors write the prescription. They should KNOW if a drug has been recalled, if it has a black box warning label on it, and any other contraindications due to the other medications you are on. If they don't know what they are prescribing is recalled or not, they need to leave the practice and go back to class.

Also a pharmacy tech, and can confirm doctors are the last to know about recalls. We spent the first few months refusing scripts for ranitidine after it was recalled and even now will still occasionally have patients ask about the over the counter stuff. But we have a system set up with the databases to let us know about recalls. Doctors typically don't. Also, ulcers aren't just cause by bacteria. They absolutely can be cause by stress and diet. I have stressed induced ulcers and have since jr high. It's checked every few years and it's still concluded they're caused by stressed. My mom had stress ulcers as well.