Generic Drugs: Feeling Better for Less

Every time we shop in the grocery or drug store, we are faced with a choice: should I buy the name brand or the generic, store-brand? The name brand is often recognizable and familiar, with prettier packaging and better shelf placement than its generic counterpart. But this packaging and marketing comes with a higher price tag. The cost of the fancy package and prime shelf placement is passed on to the consumer. The generic brand is generally the same product for a lower price, but we are drawn to the name brand because of its familiarity, and its higher price tends to make us think it must be a higher quality. Unfortunately, this cost equals worth formula is hard to see past when considering name brand versus generic drugs, even though consumer goods and pharmaceuticals are very different industries.

Regulation

An important point to remember when deciding between name brand and generic drugs is that the FDA regulates the production of both. According to the FDA's website, it is required that generic drugs are as strong, pure, stable and of the same quality as the name brand. Medicinenet.com points out that trademark laws prevent the generic drug from exactly resembling the name brand, and so the color, flavor, or inactive ingredients may be different in the generic. But the active ingredient must always be the same, with the same effects. Not only must the active ingredients be the same, but also the manufacturing facilities of generic drugs must be comparable to name brand facilities.

Cost

The cost of difference between a generic and name brand drug can be a staggering amount. Both the FDA and Medicinenet explain that the innovative drug manufacturers (the name brand) have a right to the patent on drugs they develop for 20 years after the drugs are introduced to the market. These companies have invested money and time in research, development, and marketing their new drug, and a patent protects this investment. Once the patent protection runs out, generic drug companies are able to create an identical drug and sell it for much less, because their only investment is in production.

Other Considerations

Although the FDA regulates generic drugs, there are still some differences to consider. According to Scientific American, generic drugs may vary in "bioequivalency", which is the amount of drug that is available in the bloodstream at any point in time. This variance is on average no more than 3.5%, but this difference may be troublesome in some drugs like anticoagulants and drugs for hypertension.

Scientific American also mentions the heparin scandal in 2008, in which toxic substances were found in doses of the drug that were produced overseas. Although the FDA regulates generics made in the U.S., more than 40% of active ingredients in generics are produced in India and China. Often foreign firms do not have the same safety and oversight standards and are more interested in the lowest price. Fortunately, the U.S. Pharmacopoeia, which sets standards for prescription drug ingredients, recently changed some of the tests used by manufacturers to determine whether impurities are present in drugs being shipped to the U.S. These new tests are more sensitive to impurities and will hopefully keep further generic drug toxicity scandals from occurring.

Many millions of Americans take generic medication without any issues at all, including myself. Because of a chronic disease, I have had to take a multitude of medication over the past 4 years. I am always grateful when a generic form of a drug is available because of how much money I save. When a person has several prescriptions that he or she takes regularly, having a generic alternative can be a quite a relief. The potential problems with generic drugs do not outweigh the benefits, at least for my budget. So what's the final verdict? Generic drugs are just as good the name brand for a much lower price.

"Generic Drugs: What You Need to Know"

Author Unknown

FDA.gov

"Fact or Fiction? Generic Drugs Are Bad For You."

Molly Webster

Scientificamerican.com

"Generic Drugs, Are They as Good as Brand Names?"

Melissa Stoppler, M.D.

Barbara K. Hecht, Ph.D

Medicinenet.com