Generic vs Brand Name Medication: Is There a Difference?

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The common misconception that most people think is that brand-name drugs work better than generic drugs. This is a standard way of thinking since generic drugs cost substantially less than their brand-name partner.

The truth is that generic drugs are required by The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be just as effective and safe as brand-name drug medication.

If you want to know more about the difference between generic vs brand name medication, read below!

Generic Vs Brand Name Medication

When you compare a generic drug to a brand-name drug, you may notice obvious differences like color, flavor, and shape. Generic medications are required to have those differences and other things to make sure they are set apart.

The three main significant differences between generic and brand name medications are different inactive ingredients, pricing, different manufacturers.

Inactive Ingredients

Brand name drugs and generic drugs contain the same active ingredients, but they have different inactive ingredients. The FDA is particular about the active ingredients to ensure that both the generic and brand-name drugs act the same and are effective.

Ensure that you check the list of the inactive ingredients to make sure that you aren’t allergic to anything listed.

Pricing

Insurance co-pay and the amount you have to pay at the register are almost always a lot less than what you would pay for the brand-name drug. Sometimes, the cost can be up to 80% less when you buy the generic medication.

Different Manufacturers

Several different types of manufacturers make generic versions of brand-name medications. Your pharmacy uses a specific manufacturer to purchase those drugs from.

Do They Really Work The Same?

Yes, both generic and brand-name drugs work the same! The FDA always makes sure that the generic drugs are just as effective and safe before they hit the market for customers to consume.

You will know that the generic is the same as the brand name drug by the active ingredient listed. Certain drugs may have different brand names; for example, Metformin is the generic version of Glucophage. The active ingredient in Glucophage is metformin hydrochloride.

Can I Purchase Medicine Online?

If you want to skip the line and the inconvenience of going to your local pharmacy to pick up your medication, you can purchase them at an online pharmacy. Certain medications require you to have a prescription, but other than that, there are other medications that you can buy at an online pharmacy without a prescription.

Purchasing your medication online can also save you a lot of money. Certain online retailers can offer you the drug at a considerably discounted price.

Why Are Brand Names Expensive?

When a company discovers a new medication, they apply for patency to prevent others from duplicating the new medicine. The patency lasts for about 20 years, and within this time, the company is running clinical trials to make sure that the drug works properly and is safe. The time, effort, patency, and clinical trials cost a lot of money, and the company usually passes some of those expenses to the consumer.

Once the 20 years have passed, other companies can duplicate the medication, with a few exceptions. The medication they reproduce must contain different inactive ingredients, look different, and be packaged differently.

The companies that duplicate the medicine don’t have to run clinical trials or invest a lot of money in creating and verifying the drug, so their medication costs less than the brand name.

Switching to Generic Medication

If you are already on the brand name version of a certain medication but your insurer is requesting that you switch over to the generic or you are wanting to cut down on the cost of your medication, you may have concerns about the transition and the side effects. Although generics are required to perform the same as the brand name, there are chances that you may have adverse reactions.

The reactions are rare and they can vary from person to person, but make sure that you are monitoring your side effects. If you notice that you are having adverse reactions or your symptoms and condition is worsening, you will need to reach out to your doctor. Your doctor should be able to help you with an alternate medicine to see if that helps or they will just go over the best options for you.

Insurance and Brand Name Drugs

Under some medical insurance plans, you can purchase the brand-name drug over the generic one. More often than not, your insurance company will prefer for you to have the generic medication because the costs are cheaper than the brand name.

If you absolutely need to have the brand-name drug, you may have to go through something called step therapy. Step therapy is when your insurance company makes you try alternative medications that are not as expensive as the brand-name drug.

If that alternative medicine does not prove helpful, your doctor can submit an appeal to your insurer, asking them to allow you to have the brand-name medication. This process can lead to your insurance company paying for the medication, but they still can deny covering the medicine, leaving you to have to pay full price.

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