subject: Generic Drugs Or Name Brand Drugs [print this page] Generic drugs have become increasingly prominent in today's medical market. At a small fraction of the original cost, you can invest in generic drugs as opposed to brand-name drugs, saving you money and providing medication to your loved ones. Usually, generic drugs are simply alternative medications to a brand-name version, and they possess the same strength, effectiveness, quality, and safety as brand-name versions. Pharmacies carry both the generic and the brand-name versions of medicine, so talk to your doctor and see what's best for you.
Very minimal differences exist between brand-name and generic drugs. The best benefit and first difference between the two is the huge cost difference. Many families have a hard time paying for medications they need, especially if a loved one suffers from a chronic disease. The huge price difference between generic and brand-name drugs has been a huge relief for these families. For $9 I get my three month supply of medicine, as opposed to a much higher cost. Being able to buy more affordable versions of prescription drugs has provided families with medications they need, however, a generic form may not be available for some brand-name medications yet. Once a brand-name drug has fulfilled it's allotted patent time, a generic is able to be manufactured.
Generic drugs are cheaper because the costs for research, experimentation, testing, advertising, and marketing have already been paid, allowing the generic to be sold for a low cost. Also, with a competitor drug on the market, the name-brand drug company will often lower prices in order to better compete with the generic company. The $4 generic are not allowed to exactly resemble its brand-name brother, and the small variations in size and color can affect the release time, taste, and texture of your medicine, but does not change it's effectiveness. As a bio-equivalent to its brand-name counterpart, generic drugs are required to contain the same active ingredient with the same chemical formula, but the inactive ingredients can vary, although the variations are generally minimal and can be pretty much disregarded. However, if you do experience different side effects because of a generic version, talk to your doctor and see what plan is best for you.
Surprisingly, if you have insurance that covers your prescription costs, buying the name-brand may actually be cheaper than the generic. Insurance companies talk to the manufacturers of medicines and negotiate for better prices for their customers and create a list of preferable medicines.
You can see which medicines would be cheaper for you by contacting your insurance company. However, what is most important is talking to your doctor about which drug, the generic or name-brand, is best for you. If there is no difference, you can go ahead and talk to your insurance company to see which may be cheaper and make your decision from there.
