My sister is a nurse and her husband is a physician. They support the generics law for common ailments like colds, flu, muscle pains, etc. But for serious ailments like high blood pressure, they prescribe me the branded medication for my maintenance. She said that she just wants to be sure (because I am her sister). Do you save on medicines by buying generics? Or do you not trust the cheap medicines?
I do the same but if I can I try to get branded ones because I can trust them more to live up to their name. If something bad happens I know I can go after them and they will have a lot more to lose since they are a known brand which gives me a bit more confidence in their product. If I do enough research on a generic brand and I can be assured that I will be okay I would give it more consideration, but since it is something to be ingested and meant to cure disease I am more careful than usual.
To be fair - I think you must have totally misunderstood on this one Corzhens - as to it bluntly what is being implied here is not just inaccurate but extremely misleading - particularly as - it would be highly unusual - if not unheard of - to hear any qualified medical professional - saying that they thought there was a difference between generic and name brand drugs - in terms of efficacy, safety or quality. Especially bearing in mind the fact - that all qualified medical professionals worldwide do or at least should know - as its part of the training - that there is absolutely no difference between generic and brand name medications - in terms of efficacy, safety or quality and more importantly the fact that - as all doctors worldwide are bound by a strict code of ethics which requires that they prescribe all medication generically - for the safety of the patient. Not only are over 80% of the drugs given to patients worldwide generic – meaning generics are generally what patients will receive from all doctors practices and clinics - as well as - in all hospitals around the world. But as the strict code of ethics of the medical profession does not permit - the prescribing of a brand name drug when there is an equivalent generic available and therefore - favoring brand name brand drugs over generics - as it implies that a doctor is getting a kick back from a drug company for promoting their product rather than putting the health of the patient first - is considered unethical and in breach of the code ethics - for which stiff penalties apply - very few - if any - medical professionals would freely admit to prescribing brand name drugs over generics - simply because - the consequences would easily put their career at risk. However in answer to the question - as we already have numerous fairly lengthy threads on this topic - many of which highlight the facts regarding generic drugs and it was not so long ago that they were active - rather than repeat what has already been said many, many times over - hopefully you won't mind if I refer you to here Log InLog In
I usually buy generic medicine, as long as it is from a good generic brand. I think they generally work exactly the same - after all, they do have exactly the same formula as the original medicine. I hear from my cousin, who is a doctor, and from my other cousin who is a pharmacist that they do work the same.
I always thought that the branded medicines are better than the generic ones, but it seems like the branded ones are better, because according to my dad, the generic medicine he bought for hyperacidity wasn't as effective as the branded ones. I don't notice a difference so far though.
Well oftentimes the generic is what I can afford so I go with that. My BP medicine is a low cost product so I am OK with using that. I don't take a lot of medicines in general. I think it is best to try to improve your health naturally if at all possible. Proper diet and exercise can work wonders!
I've always heard that there's not really much of a difference (if any) between generic and branded medicines. But I've never really bought into that, I always stick with branded versions, whether it's just herbal supplements or medicinal stuff. IDK I just feel that little bit better about it, and whether it's accurate or not, I feel like I'm probably getting better value for money. So who knows, ei?
I have saved a lot over the years when it comes to getting the cheaper generic version versus the brand name. I still am surprised at how many people still buy the brand name, because when you look on the back it seems to be the exact same thing to me.
I always get generic when there is a generic available. Saves money and is just as effective as the brand name just without the hefty price tag. When my daughter started taking her ADD medication, it cost over $350 and there was not a generic alternative. In the last year, there was a generic medication made but even that costs me $254 each month. I am hoping that as time goes on it will be cheaper as it works quite well for her. I never noticed any difference when we switched to the generic either.
I will buy generic medicine like acetaminophen and ibuprofen. I have also tried the generic version of Pepto Bismol. It was 3 dollars cheaper and we are giving it a try to see if it's as effective. I agree that with certain medication you want the branded drug. My husband take a high cholesterol drug and finds that if he takes the generic version he gets muscle pain and when he takes the branded version he doesn't. Now our GP puts on the prescription no substitutions so he gets the branded one.
I don't take any meds on a regular basis. The few times I have taken meds they have been brand names. If I needed to take meds regularly I may go for the generic to save money. My daughter was on cancer meds and even the generic was over $200 a dose.
I stay away from pharmaceuticals all together, be they generic or brand named. On the rare occasion when I do need an aspirin for strong pain or inflammation, I buy whatever is available. I've never really noticed any difference between generic and brand names. if it says a tablet contains 0,5g of aspirin, I assume that's what it contains. I don't know about the other ingredients that are used in the manufacture of the tablets, and whether those ingredients vary from company to company.
As this is a money saving forum - with the main aim obviously being that of how to get value for money without paying more than is necessary. And brand name vs generic drugs is one of the areas where - some could be paying way, way more than they need to - mainly because - there appears to be a lot of misunderstanding as to what generic drugs really are - in fact so much so - that many people have such negative perceptions about generic medicines - that they seem to think that generics are purely knock offs of the original and equate them with - for example - a “ fake “ designer bag sold on a market stall. Hopefully these facts will help save some more of that hard earned cash - especially as the majority of brand name drugs generally cost 85% more than generics The truth is - there is absolutely no difference between brand name and generic drugs - in terms of safety, efficacy, or quality - for the simple reason that - in order to ensure patient safety - regardless of where or what country a generic drug originates from - all approved and licensed generic drugs must be identical to their brand name counterparts - meaning that - although some generics may look different and some of the inactive ingredients may vary depending on who they are manufactured by - for example - they may contain different coloring agents, binders or fillers - they must all contain exactly the same active compound or bio-equivalent as the innovator/brand name drug have the same performance characteristics be identical in strength, dosage and route of administration have the same licensed indications meet the same batch requirements for identity, strength, purity, stability and quality and be manufactured under the same strict safety standards and good manufacturing practice regulations required for innovator drugs all of which can be verified here Log In
Apologies - just realized - I forgot to add - that one of the most common reasons why some may feel that generic drugs are not as effective or that they cause more side effects than brand name drugs - is not actually related to the drugs themselves - but has more to do with the term '”generic “ and therefore - as that term can trick the mind into automatically thinking - inferior or poor quality product - its generally the patient's perception of “ generic “ that causes the negative outcome - in terms of efficacy, side effects or sometimes even both - not the drugs themselves. Particularly as - not only has research proven time and time again - that when people don't know whether they are taking a brand name or generic drug - there are never any reported differences in terms of efficacy or side effects - but when they do know that they are receiving a generic drug - huge differences tend to appear. It does - to put it bluntly - indicate that the response to generic drugs is purely psychological. Or to put it more simply - if someone is convinced that a pill is going to work - it generally does - regardless of whether its a placebo (sugar pill), a generic or a brand name drug - whereas the reverse happens - in those who are skeptical about the effectiveness or are convinced that they will have side effects from a generic drug - purely because - their mind has implanted negative expectations - a good example of which can be found here Log In
I try to use generic medicines most of the times as they are generally cheaper but just as effective as the branded ones. I always choose a reputable drug store to buy generics from as some small drug stores have lower quality control and there is a chance that they may be unwittingly selling fake drugs distributed by unscrupulous dealers. Prices may vary hugely from store to store so it's best to canvass specially if one is buying in huge quantities.
