Upstream Health Solutions

Many folks in the US have trouble with the cost of prescription medicines. This isn’t a new problem. However, the problem is increasing along with the skyrocketing number of uninsured and underinsured people. The cost of prescriptions can be prohibitive, and may lead individuals to seek cheap alternatives to prescribed medications. These medications are not luxuries. Frequently, they can lengthen the amount of time an individual lives. They choose generic drugs.

What is the difference?
Have you ever noticed the two signature lines at the bottom of your prescription? The small print under the first line states “Product Selection Permitted” while the second says “Dispense as Prescribed” or something to that effect.

What this means is that the pharmacy or the consumer can choose to use brand names or generic drugs based on whether or not the doctor signs off on this option. Naturally, the drug makers who designed and patented the formula want you to think that brand names are better than generic medication. Manufacturers of generic drugs insist that there is no substantial difference between their products, and brand name medications.

What is the truth?
Generic drugs and brand name drugs use the same active ingredient that, when delivered in the same dosage, with the same intention, and the same method of utilizing, at the identical strength, will deliver exactly the same effect, risk, and side effect.

Brand name drugs must recoup the cost of research, development, testing, patent, and advertising costs built into the drug – all costs that the generic version need not take into account. Only the original manufacturer of the drug is permitted to use that brand name. The manufacturer is able to exclusively market the medication they developed and tested for a set period of time.

If a generic drug company receives legal permission to both manufacture and develop and test the medication, they do not have to invest so much money into it. Even though it is required by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), efficacy testing, preliminary testing and development research expenses are not a requirement for generic drug companies.

Is there really any difference?
In addition, after the patent for a brand name medication has expired, other generic drug manufacturers can apply with the FDA for permission to manufacture the generic version of that drug. If many companies apply for permission to manufacture the generic drug, there will be more competition for generic drug pricing. This will result in cheaper prices in the generic version of the drug.

Both generic and brand name drugs must be tested for efficacy, and the FDA requires that the generic perform at the same level as the brand name medication. Generic medications do not function in any way that is different than name brand medications. Generic drug manufacturing plants are held by the FDA to the same high standards of quality control as the brand name manufacturers.

What this means is that apart from price, there is no essential difference between name brand and generic prescription drugs. If this is so, what would motivate a physician to write a prescription for a costly brand name medication as opposed to a more affordable generic one?

The appearance of generic drugs may differ from brand name medication because the manufacturer of the generic version has the option of using different inert ingredients. Inert ingredients do not affect the performance of medications.  For example, binding agents give a medication its shape.  Color is derived from food coloring.  Other inert ingredients, like flavoring, do not have an effect on the efficacy and functioning of a drug. There is a slim chance that an inactive ingredient could lead to an allergic response or interact with another medication the patient is taking. That’s why doctors might decide to use a brand name medication rather than the generic brand; even though, it is less expensive.

So really, there is not a difference between brand name and generic drugs. Price will be the only difference.  If your doctor allows it, generics are a good choice. In that case, it is possible to get great savings by asking your druggist for a generic type of prescribed medication, with no loss of quality or potency.