Generic Drugs Vs. Brand Name Drugs

Generic Medications Versus Brand Name drugs - is it the same or is there a difference?

Let me start by saying this, yes I personally think there is no difference in Generic medications and brand name drugs, but I am not taking 6 or 7 medications. Most people I know will tell you there is a huge difference in medications. Normally doctors will prescribe Brand name drugs, when the patient takes the script to the pharmacist, the pharmacist will dispense generic drugs as per the health insurance company the patient has.

The problem lies if the patient does not take well to the generic, which is what normally happens in most if not all cases.

On the other hand, persons like me, it doesn't make a difference, and I personally cannot tell if there is a difference. I will give you an example: if my doctor prescribes penicillin for whatever ailment I have and the pharmacist gives me amoxicillin, I notice no difference, and take my meds to get better.

My mother on the other hand would not be able to take the generic, it would literally kill her.

Statistically speaking there shouldn't be a huge difference between generics and brand name drugs, but unfortunately there is a slight difference. It can be for a variety of reasons,

One of those reasons can be the ingredients used in the medications. Another reason can be people's drug interactions with the different ingredients. Normally when a doctor prescribes a certain medication and it is a brand name drugs it is because he knows what will interact with his patients needs and is able to take.

When a pharmacist gives a patient a generic substitution, normally or I should say 90 percent of the time the patient has a bad interaction and notices right away that the medication is not working the way it should or is creating other problems as well and stops taking that medication causing even more harm to the patients well-being.

In a world that is always looking to save a buck here or there, the phrase only the strong will survive comes to play more and more every day. With drug companies trying to make a buck and insurance companies covering less and less, people on a lot of medications are the ones that suffer in the end.