The Beginning

I am certain that all of us have been a patient or are going to be a patient in the future. When you had to fill a prescription did you pay attention to the name on the prescription and the name on the bottle? Were they different? If so then you have encountered the generic vs. trade name issue. The Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act better known as the Hatch-Waxman Act of 1984 was the first major contributor to the generic vs. trade competition. By 1980 most states had enacted laws that allowed pharmacies to dispense generic name drugs even if the prescription called for a brand name or trade name drug, these laws also had a huge impact on generic sales. Certainly you are all familiar with the Medicaid program; this is just one of the government health programs that promote the generic substitution of drugs. Keeping these in mind it is easy to understand why generic vs. trade name drugs is such a hot issue. But if you are still asking why, then please keep reading!

Resources:

http://www.sanfordguide.com/PDA_Demo/SGdemo/images/plm_5_lrg.gif

http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdoc.cfm?index=655

http://www.healthpopuli.com/uploaded_images/Savings-Generated-By-Use-of-Generic-Drugs-During-742239.jpg

Steinman, M., Chren, M., & Landefeld, C. (2007, May). What's in a name? Use of brand versus generic drug names in United States outpatient practice. Journal Of General Internal Medicine, 22(5), 645-648. Retrieved September 23, 2009, from MEDLINE database.

Robb-Nicholson, C. (2007, January). By the way, doctor. I recently switched from Prilosec to its generic form, omeprazole. The generic form doesn't give me as much relief from heartburn as Prilosec does. Aren't generics supposed to be the same as the brand-name drugs?. Harvard Women's Health Watch, 14(5), 8-8. Retrieved September 23, 2009, from MEDLINE database.

Generic and Brand-Name Drugs.. (2009, January). CRS - Senior Health Advisor, Retrieved September 23, 2009, from Health Source - Consumer Edition database.