Why do some people think that name brand medications are better than generics? Is this actually true?

Answer 1

NOT TRUE. The FDA regulates the generic market, if you look closely the chemical name of something like: ALLEGRA is Fexofenadine... the GENERIC is simply called FEXOFENADINE. These drugs have to be nearly identical in studies to be marketed as something called an AB rated generic. The only medication that is not to be swtiched between brand and generic are levothyroxine (synthroid, levothroid) because levels tend to change slightly but significantly. THer is not difference but as a pharmacist i have this fight everyday and i'm bound to never win.. so if you want to pay more.. it's your pocket!!!


PS incorrect theories above:

They must be 90% the same
They ARE tested for efficacy and safety through the supplemental new drug application
they are not inferior
if they are listed in the orange book they are equivalent
you can go to www.fda.gov and look in the orange book yourself to see what is substituable and what is not

once you have gone to 6 years of pharmacy school then you can make statments, not from things you read on spacedoc.net

Answer 2

Brand name medecines are usually named because they were developed and marketed (and patented) by the actual drug manufacturer. They have done all the tests and have all the details on how much of each drug should be contained in the pill (or whatever form the drug is used as).

Other companies develop the same drug but use its generic name. The drug companies often claim that recipients of the drug are not getting the same quality medication if you use a generic brand rather than their named version.

In a simple example, instead of paying $3.59 for a bottle of Advil, you might go for the $2.89 bottle of ibuprofen. If both pills contain the same number of milligrams of the medication, they should be equivalent. But if the Advil contains 200mg per tablet, while the generic one contains only 150mg per tablet, they are not actually the same. You must read the labels!

Unless your doctor specifies otherwise, you should be able to substitute a generic version rather than a name brand.Doing so will save you money in the long run, and some insurance companies actually require this to happen if a generic form is available.

Answer 3

Sometimes when the patent law expires and another company starts producing a generic equivalent of a name-brand medication, even though it contains the same active ingredient, it can be inferior. First, some of these generic equivalents are not tested for efficacy. Second, they may not be tested for bioavailability. Third, there may be other ingredients that interfere or stimulate metabolism of the "active compound". In general, these generic equivalents are produced cheaper to be sold cheaper to compete with the brand-name medication. Sometimes there is no significant difference but not in all cases. But because there is an attempt at saving money (to pass on to consumers) these generic equivalents are not thoroughly tested for bioavailability, efficacy, side effect profiles, etc. Despite this information, I am not opposed to generic equivalents, nor do I work for a pharmaceutical company.

Answer 4

I have taken some pretty inferior generic drugs that were supposed to be the same as the name brand. I could tell the difference especially in pain killers, since I have to take them for rheumatoid arthiritis. I also wonder sometimes if that is why an infection doesn't clear up when you take the generic. My mom was taking Levoxyl which is for her thyroid. The pharmacy decided to give her the generic without consulting the doctor first. She started having massive hair loss . because of the generic. We also found a vast difference. between the different generic diazapam which is Valium. ISome of them work and some do not. I am a retired pharmacy technician II supervisor who worked on a code team for 15 years, and now am a home healthcare provider. Even our hospital pharmacists called them bathtub drugs meaning they were inferior. I am not saying they all are like that, but there are some companies whose generics are questionable.

Answer 5

people in general believe that things (medications, clothing, food, appliances, etc...) that have a recognizable name brand are better than private label or generic brands.

in a few cases, with medications, this is so only because there is no real generic equivalent for some medications due to patent law restrictions.

however, any medication that has outlived its patent period and can be produced in generic versions, generally works as well as the original branded version. this is because once the patent expires, the formula is no longer "secret" and the medication can then be produced for sale by any legitimate pharmaceutical manufacturer.

Answer 6

Generic drugs have the same key ingredient (the drug) in them. So they do the same thing. The only difference might be in the delivery. For example, Tylenol has some gimic where their capsules have little holes in them, allowing the drug to escape into your stomach faster than a regular capsule. So that may work faster than your generic store brand... But for the most part, there's no reason to pay for the name brand of over the counter stuff or prescriptions.

Answer 7

It is just that the reputation of brand gets attached to the generic, therefore more trustworthy.

Then there is some brand building and brand recall associated with brands which makes them more likable; otherwise the salts and compositions are same.

Answer 8

A generic drug only has to be 80% as effective as the original brand name drug to be legal to prescribe. My doctor informed me of that little known fact.

A .25mg difference in the dosage of my daily medication affects my LIFE. I don't want to trust that kind of sensitivity level to a cheaper drug that only has to be 80% effective.

Any diabetic out there wanna chance your life on generic insulin...actually, I don't even know if they make a generic brand of that. Anyhoo, you get the point.

Answer 9

Generic drugs are copies of brand-name drugs that have exactly the same dosage, intended use, effects, side effects, route of administration, risks, safety, and strength as the original drug. In other words, their pharmacological effects are exactly the same as those of their brand-name counterparts.

An example of a generic drug, one used for diabetes, is metformin. A brand name for metformin is Glucophage. (Brand names are usually capitalized while generic names are not.) A generic drug, one used for hypertension, is metoprolol, whereas a brand name for the same drug is Lopressor.

Many people become concerned because generic drugs are often substantially cheaper than the brand-name versions. They wonder if the quality and effectiveness have been compromised to make the less expensive products. The FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) requires that generic drugs be as safe and effective as brand-name drugs.

Actually, generic drugs are only cheaper because the manufacturers have not had the expenses of developing and marketing a new drug. When a company brings a new drug onto the market, the firm has already spent substantial money on research, development, marketing and promotion of the drug. A patent is granted that gives the company that developed the drug an exclusive right to sell the drug as long as the patent is in effect.

http://My-canada-pharmacy.com
http://Mypharmaworld.com

Answer 10

They are the same. The mfg. changes the name of the medicine and the price. Generic is cheaper but it does the job.