Are generic over the counter drugs not as good?

Question

Every big pharmacy you go to has their own variety. Are the CVS/Walgreens/Ekerd versions any less efective? Are they bad for you? They are usually a lot cheaper, is the quality any worse? This is just about generic OTC medicine.

Answer 1

Yes, they are practically identical.

As a rule generic products are cheaper because they have fewer quality controls, but there is a limit to what the FDA will put up with, so most generic products are very similar to the name brand products. In fact a lot of generic products are made by the same manufacturer that makes the name brand product.

There are a lot of varieties of sinus medicine, but there are only a few active ingredients, and that is what counts. When you look at the active ingredients you will find the common chemical compound that makes the medication work. Some brands may have different concentrations, but usually they come in set doses. The inactive ingredients list will vary with the dyes and other chemicals that are used to construct the medication, but these ingredients don’t have any effect on your body. If you buy aspirin, then you get the medication salicylate acid every time (Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspirin). Some aspirins have caffeine while others may have different combinations of chemicals or they may be in different forms, but in ALL of them the aspirin itself is chemically and medically identical. Wallgreens ‘brand medication is just as good as Eckerds’, or Wal-Mart’s, or Krogers’ medications are.

In the case of generic drugs there are three kinds; the knockoff, the cheap version, and the one made when the original company's patent expires. All of these drugs have to conform to the FDA standards and perform exactly as the name brand drug would. This is true for all generic drugs prescription drugs and over the counter drugs.

The knockoff is almost exactly like the name brand drug, but there is some minor change in the chemical formula so that the drug company that makes it isn't violating the patent of the name brand drug. When you think of knockoffs you think of poorly made handbags that claim to be Gucci. However, to be prescribed that drug has to match the exact effects of the drug it mimics. The active ingredients have to be the same, and given in equivalent doses. The drug also has to produce no more side effects than that which are possible from the name brand drug, and they have to have the exact same medical value. A drug company can do this by sticking an extra molecule on the molecular chain. The change is slight, and virtually has no effect, but it is significant enough that the drug patent can be bypassed.
A lot of drugs can't be mimicked in this way. So in that case the generic is just a less expensive from of the name brand drug, it may even be made by the exact same company. It will use the same ingredients and probably be made on an assembly line just a few feet from where the name brand drug is made. Drug companies do this so they can sell their drugs to more people. Many HMO plans require the pharmacist to only use generic drugs. If a drug company wants everyone to use their new drug, then they may quietly come out with a generic version later so the HMO’s doctors will be allowed to prescribe it and their pharmacies can fill the prescription. This allows them to be the exclusive marketer of the drug for the life of their drug patent, as well as marketing it to the widest group of people.

A drug patent’s life varies by country, but it is always a short one and it cannot be renewed. Although the American drug companies have tired to increase the length of time for their patents. So far with no success, but, they did get pretty close. Once the patent expires then other drug companies can make their own version of the drug and sell it in competition with the company that originally made the drug. It costs on average around $800,000,000 to develop and test a new drug before it is approved for use, so you can see why the drug companies want to try and expand the life span of their patents. They will have to charge a very high price to make up the R&D investment that it took to make the drug, and to pay for the manufacturing process that had to be set up. This is why some generics can be as much as 50% cheaper then the original brand name drug.

The differences between Generic Drugs and the drugs that they stand for are so minor that they are insignificant. It is like when you buy an IBM computer, you can get the exact same computer, made by a different manufacturer, for 75% of the cost. The extra 25% you are paying for is for that brand name, and all that the brand name stands for. In the case of IBM or Dell it could be support and a very nice case with components that fit very well into them. For drugs though the FDA rules are tighter.

Thanks to FDA regulations generic drugs and name brand drugs are so similar that for all intents and purposes they are the same drug. You can feel perfectly safe by sticking with generics; this is one area where the HMOs are not ripping off their clients.

Answer 2

Generic drugs are supposed to be chemically identical to the brand name, and in the vast majority of cases they are just as effective. I have heard of rare cases when the physiological individuality of a patient apparently responds differently to the brand name than to the generic.

Answer 3

The only thing I've heard is that some generic pills may be compressed different than the originals. Therefore they may release into your body slower or quicker. I was told this by a person who worked for a generic pill company.

Answer 4

Generic medicine has the same ingredients. But the real test is trying both generic and name brand. If the "name brand" medicine feels significantly different and works better, then you have your answer. But I think you will find there is no difference.

Answer 5

they are THE SAME read this:

http://www.tsbp.state.tx.us/consumer/broch3.htm

Why do generic drugs cost less than brand name drugs?

A large portion of the cost of brand name drugs covers the high cost of research and development. Generic manufacturers do not have to duplicate the cost of research and marketing conducted by the original manufacturer. Therefore, the cost of the generic drug is usually less.

Answer 6

they must be exactly the same as far as the drugs contained, they just dont have the profit margin because they let the name brands do all the drug research and then when a drug is no longer protected by legal stuff, they make their own version. it works exactly the same though the binders may be different,

Answer 7

same thing.. active meds are hte same fillers may be different but work as well only 2% of the WORLDS population cannot use GEn drugs otherwise its the same

Answer 8

Otc meds are not bad for you and work hust as well. Your buying the name on the reg. meds.

Answer 9

They are equally effective and just as good as the name brand stuff. You just don't have to pay for their advertising, cause there isn't any.

Answer 10

the drugs are just as good....but what makes them over the counter is that they are not as stong.....over the counter versions of the same drug is about half as strong....it is a safety thing....that way it is harder for peaple to over dose themselves....so really the only difference is how strong they are....