Generic Drug
Using generic medications is one of the best ways to save money on your prescription costs. Generic medications contain the same active ingredient as their brand name counterparts, but at a fraction of the cost. I get many questions from people who are not sure if generic medications are safe and effective. The short answer to that is "yes, they are".
Generic medications are available after the brand name medication loses its patent. Generic drugs must meet the same high standards set by the FDA as the brand name medicines. They must contain the same amount of active ingredient and have the same delivery mechanism (ie, extended release, etc). They may not look exactly like the brand name as they may be a different shape or color, but the active ingredient is the same.
The reason generic drugs are so much cheaper is because the generic company did not have to spend 100’s of millions of dollars on research, development and marketing. Also, several companies can produce generic medications, so there is competition among producers. This keeps the prices much lower.
Interestingly, many times a generic medication is manufactured by the same company that produced the brand name drug. Some companies choose to do this because they already have everything in place for production, and generic drugs even at their low cost are still somewhat profitable.
As a pharmacist I confidently recommend using generic medications. If you are not sure if your medication is available as a generic just ask your pharmacist. They will know.
Many people ask when their brand name medications will be available in the cheaper generic form.
By: Trenton Wallace, Pharm.D.
Why Are Drugs Expensive in the US? Why Are Drugs Expensive in the US? Because Other Countries Just Decide to Pay Less Patent Baristas (blog) Pfizer is continuing its fight with generic drug manufacturer United Laboratories, Inc. (Unilab)in the Philippines. Use generic drugs to treat ED! Generic drugs are tablets which are designed to contain the core chemical of another drug but manufactured under a different name. FDA Admits Contradictions in Generic Drug Labeling Generic medications provide many Americans with a money saving alternative to name brand drugs It is estimated that generic drugs save consumers.
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