GENERIC DRUGS: ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS

 

 

If you've had a prescription filled recently, there's a good chance you're taking a generic drug. Almost 80% of prescription drug sales are generics. Their use helps save patients and hospitals billions of dollars every year. It's estimated that you could save at two-thirds of your drug costs if you use generic drugs. According to the FDA, generic drugs can be trusted to have the same quality as brand-name drugs -- but at a cheaper price. That's important to know because no one wants to skimp on health, even if it means saving money.

 

WHAT ARE THE WAYS GENERICS ARE THE SAME AS BRAND-NAME DRUGS? The FDA requires a generic drug to meet standards that make sure it's the same basic product as the brand-name drug. That means the generic drug is safe and can be taken: The same way as a brand-name drug & For the same reason as a brand-name drug. For the FDA to approve a generic drug, it must be the same as the brand-name product in its:

1. Active Ingredient

2. Strength

3. Use and Effect

4. Form of Dosage Form (for example, a pill, inhaler or liquid)

5. Ability to reach the required level in the bloodstream at the right time and to the same extent

6. Testing Standards

 

HOW ARE GENERICS DIFFERENT FROM BRAND-NAME DRUGS? Some differences between generics and brand-name drugs are allowed. These differences may change the appearance of the drug, but they do not affect how it works or its safety. Generic drugs may differ in:

1. Shape

2. Color

3. Packaging

4. Labeling

Generic drugs are allowed to have different inactive ingredients than brand-name drugs. For example, they may have a different Flavoring or Preservative. The inactive ingredients in a generic, though, must be considered safe by the FDA. Generic drugs may also have a different expiration date than brand-name drugs. Even so, the generic must keep its effectiveness until its expiration date, just as required of a brand-name product.

 

WHY ARE GENERIC DRUGS CHEAPER THAN BRAND-NAME DRUGS? You may be wondering how a generic drug can be sold at a much lower price than a brand-name drug. The difference in price hs to do with the different costs that drugmakers have in bringing generics and brand-name drugs to the pharmacy shelf. Making a new drug is expensive for a drugmaker. A manufacturer's costs for the launch of a new drug include money for: Research, Large-scale Drug Testing, Advertising, Marketing and Promotion.

The FDA has tried to balance the rights of the maker of brand-name drugs to recoup its investment with the rights of patients to have access to lower cost generic drugs. To help a drugmaker recover its costs, new brand-name drugs are given patent protection when they are first sold. The patent gives a drugmaker exclusive rights to produce and sell the drug for a limited time. The average time a brand-name drug is protected by the patent after it hits the market is 12 years. When the patent ends, other companies are allowed to make a nd sell a generic version. The generic drugmaker's costs are relatively low because the product has already been developed and tested by the brand-name company. Makers of the generic drugs can pass the savings along in the form of lower prices to pharmacies, and ultimately, to us. The competition among multiple companies producing a generic version of a drug also helps keep the price low.

 

SHOULD YOU BE TAKING GENERIC MEDICATION? Generics are not available for all medications. The best way to find out if a generic is available for a medication you are taking - and whether or not you should take it - is to ask your doctor and pharmacist. Some health insurance companies require that you use a generic drug, if available. If you chose to purchase the brand-name product, you may end up paying on your own or be required to pay a larger co-pay.

 

If you have any other questions in regard to generic drugs, please ask your doctor.

 

source: www.webmd.com