Which is better, generic or name brand prescriptions ?

Question

I have never had a doctor ask me my preference before. I said to him I thought there was no difference an he assured me I was wrong
I went to my regular doctor for 3 perscriptions and he refilled them all generic w/o asking my preference

1. does it make a differenece generic vs namebrand ?
2. should my physician ask me my preference ?
3. are generics perscribed for some particular reason

Answer 1

1. They are actually the same quality, same active ingredient and their effects should be identical. The differences are mayb the inactive ingredient, the size/shaped/packaging or the formulation of the medication.

besides, the cost will be the different due to the generics no need to recoup all the costs associated with launching the original meds. Generics are the copies of original after several years (mayb up to 20 years) patent of orignal ended.

2. Yes. physician or a chemist should have asked your preference before giving u the generics

3. cost-saving.
For patients who has been stabilised on a regimen should b OK, yet depend on what meds.

However, some meds with narrow therapeutics index (meaning easily to get overdose or under-dose) such as digoxin, warfarin should avoid swapping from each other.due to the potential variantion in both Cmax and AUC of the drugs.

Answer 2

Just because something has the same active ingredient does NOT always mean it works the same. It's all about the BA (bio-availability) of the active ingredient. The INactive ingredients play a HUGE roll in how well the ACTIVE ingredient is absorbed into the system. With most generics, they do not have the same quality control standards as the brand name therefore they can put whatever fillers they want. The brand names do about 18 years of research to make the BEST product and that is the real reason for the price, not just the name like everyone thinks.. It's very easy to assume that though just because it's the same active ingredient, it must work the same. Gotta think outside the box on this one. I used to think they were all the same until i started buying generic ibuprofin and noticed that it did NOTHING for my headaches.. switched back to advil and always got relief within 15-20 minutes. Every single time. And it's NOT placebo because i actually thought they would work the same way (if placebo was involved then I should have gotten relief)

anyway, not ALL generics are inferior, i just know that with ibuprofin, usually the brand names are better because of the BA.

Answer 3

In nearly all cases generic brands are identical to name brands -- they use the same compounds and the same formulation. Therefore their bioequivalency is the same and they have the same effects in your body.

However, sometimes your pharmacist or insurance plan will substitute a generic drug in the same family for the prescribed name brand. They will be different chemical compounds, and may not work exactly the same. There are a lot of "me too" drugs on the market that all work more or less the same but are actually different chemical compounds. When your doc writes a prescription he can specify "no substitutions", if he thinks it will make a difference.

Generics are usually prescribed because they are cheaper. Also, they have usually been on the market longer and more is known about their safety and efficacy. If you have the choice and price is a factor an effective generic is the way to go.

Answer 4

was it the doctor or pharmacist ? some generic meds work as well as the name brand and some generic do not work as well and i think it depends on your body chemisrty and what kind of drug it is I think antiotics will be all right for most people but i find thyroid medications and diabetic medications in the generic form to be less effective and i am sure some one say i am wrong but again i think it depends on the persons body chemistry