So, you have been taking the same medication for years. It has worked well for you and your condition, and it is easy to get a prescription filled at your local pharmacy. Imagine the shock when one day you go to fill that prescription and discover that your insurance no longer covers it as generic! You may be wondering, is there much difference between name-brand and generic drugs? Do they even come from the same manufacturer? What is behind this recent change in policy, anyway? Below are some reasons why you may buy generic medicine:
Generic Medications Are Cheaper
Medications can become more expensive as time goes on. If a medication has only recently gone generic, it will be cheaper than if it were still under patent protection. Of course, there are other factors to consider, such as what medical conditions it was originally intended for and how many people will be taking the medication.
The Same Company Makes Brand and Generic Medications
Branded medications often come from the same manufacturers as generic medications. In this way, they can be identical in both chemical makeup and dosage instructions. While some companies may claim that one is better than the other, this comes down to marketing strategies. Essentially, branded medications were allowed a patent and hence a monopoly on their products for a certain amount of time to recoup research costs. After that period has passed, other pharmaceutical companies can produce the drug under license from the original manufacturer. In this way, the patents on medications are similar to those of software and fashion designs, where a certain period must pass before others can copy them.
Medication Quality is Similar Across All Formulations
If you are taking a medication that has been available as a generic for some time, then the chances are high that it will work just as well as any other formulation on the market. Generic medications need to meet stringent quality standards to be on the market at all, so you do not have to worry about taking anything substandard or less effective than what you would find with a branded version of the drug.
The FDA Approves of Generics
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ensures that all medications sold in the USA are safe and effective. This includes both branded and generic medications. The FDA has a separate division known as the Office of Generic Drugs, specifically devoted to reviewing generic medications. So, you can be sure that any medication available as a generic has been thoroughly tested and is just as safe and effective as its branded counterpart.
Generics Are Held to Strict Quality Standards
Generic medications must meet very stringent quality standards to be on the market. This means that they have to be bioequivalent to their branded counterparts, meaning they release the same active ingredient into your bloodstream at the same rate and in the same quantity.
There are no differences between generic and name-brand drugs besides price. If a medication like Vermox 100mg has only recently gone generic, it will be cheaper than if it were still under patent protection. All medications need to meet some standards on the market, so you do not have to worry about taking anything substandard or less effective medication.