R4Stars Monthly Contributors

Generic Vs. Brand Name Drugs
by N. Lois Adams, C.R.Ph., M.B.A.
Founder & CEO, CF Pharmacy

Did you ever wonder why pharmacists dispense generic drugs, when a brand name drug is available? Its because the laws of the State of Florida require us to do exactly that, unless your physician indicates that the brand-name medication is "medically necessary, or unless you insist that you be given the brand-name drug. This leaves you in rather a quandary as to which you should request.

I am often asked about the differences between the two - brands and generics. The Food & Drug Administration requires only that a given amount of a drug be available in a tablet or capsule; it does not regulate "bioavailability." Bioavailability is how a drug is absorbed and utilized by the body. Some generics actually pass through the body so quickly, that their coatings don't ever dissolve and they are not absorbed!

Sometimes, the wrong absorption rate, or a different compound, can make it hard to get the required medical response. Patients who take certain heart or high blood pressure medications should be very cautious when they accept generic drugs.

Bringing a new drug to the marketplace is extremely expensive. Manufacturers of brand name medications charge premium prices in order to cover their investment in research and development, and the costs of marketing the drug to the medical profession.

A generic pharmaceutical generally becomes available after the brand name patent expires. Many brand-name drugs and their generic counterparts are actually manufactured by the same company! Patients often ask whether generic drugs are less expensive than the comparable brand name, and, usually, they are.

Does this sound confusing to you? Well, it can be, but you should remember…choose your pharmacist as carefully as you choose your physician, attorney or accountant. Your pharmacist is an expert on drugs and drug products, and he or she knows if a generic is as good for you as the brand name medication. Once you choose the right pharmacist, depend upon them to counsel you for all of your medication needs.

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