“Talk to your doctor to find out if Ambien® is right for you.” I am sure that you have heard this commercial before, and can interchange Ambien® with any number of other drugs. As a consumer have you ever asked your doctor if zolpidem is right for you? Do you know what zolpidem is? If you are a nurse or medical practitioner you probably do, but if you are just an average consumer probably not. It is the active ingredient in Ambien® as well as over a dozen generic drugs. Myth or Fact: Generic drugs cost less than brand name drugs because they are inferior? Think about this for a moment. If you answered FACT then you are wrong! According to the Food and Drug Administration generics cost less because these manufacturers typically don’t engage in costly advertising, marketing and promotion, or significant research and development. If you answered incorrectly don’t feel too bad, many people believe this myth. There are many myths associated with generic drugs; the FDA has even devoted a page on their website to this topic. The real fact is that the generic drug industry is regulated by the FDA and these drugs must pass a bioequivalency review to ensure they perform the same as the brand names. According to the National Institute for Health Care Management this means that “essentially, a generic company must show unequivocally (via a series of mandated studies and tests) that the generic drug (a) contains the identical active ingredient or ingredients as the innovator drug in the same amount and (b) behaves in the body in the same way.” We will explore this matchup further.
Resources:
http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/BuyingUsingMedicineSafely/UnderstandingGenericDrugs/ucm167991.htm
http://www.nihcm.org/~nihcmor/pdf/GenericsPrimer.pdf
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/catalog.gsp?cat=547013
This was helpful to read because many people do believe generic drugs are inferior.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it is a common misconception that generic drugs are inferior. I buy generic products any time I can and have always been satisfied.
ReplyDeleteSo what you are sayinge here is that one of the reasons trade name drugs are soooo expensive is to pay for those annoying commercials all over the TV? The commercials that list more side effects of the drugs than the original problem I need the medicine for? Seems like maybe they should save the money from the commercial and use it to research how to fix all the crazy side effects that make me not want to take the medicine.
ReplyDeleteI never even thought about the regulations for generic drugs. I guess I always just assumed that the government wouldn't knowingly let substandard drugs on the market. I am going to keep reading and then check out the FDA FAQ.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't it be true that generic drugs might be slightly inferior to name brand drugs due to patents and other regulations on "secret" formulas kept by the pharmacutical companies? Coming from a less fortunate family, I have only been given generic drugs but have always been curious about what, if any, difference is made in production between the two. However, it is nice to learn that the FDA requires the bioequivalency exam to ensure we are getting adeqate pharmicutical products.
ReplyDeletegeneric is the only way for me. Not only with meds, but with other products as well.
ReplyDeleteThose glitzy, expensive commercials also contribut to people's lack of trust when it comes to generic drugs. I think we often think that if a company is willing to spend tons of money on promotion then their product must be better!
ReplyDeleteCoco,
ReplyDeleteThe bioequivalency is basically the "secret". The patent protects the exclusive rights of the trade name manufacturer but once it expires other companies can then use their "secret". Great discussion, thank you for your comments.
This information was very helpful. I have been weary of using generic drugs for a long time, thinking they weren't as effective as brand name. But learning about the FDA regulations makes me feel allot more comfortable using generic.
ReplyDeleteI am very happy to hear our blog was helpful! It is a great feeling to know we have been able to educate someone about generic drugs. However, I do want to state that neither genetic or brand name drugs are better than the other. Generic are just less expensive than brand name because they do not have to recoup the cost of research and development. While inexpensive drugs are wonderful, it is important for consumers to continue to purchase brand name drugs to continue the development of new, and hopefully better, drugs!
ReplyDelete