Generic Medications

You’ve probably heard several different things when it comes to generic medicine. Some people say it is the exact same thing and to save the money and purchase it. Others feel that it may be lacking in some aspect or another and prefer to stick with only the name brand. There are a few things to keep in mind when deciding which route to go for yourself. 

After a medicine has been out for about seven years, the FDA then allows one specific generic version to be brought to market. That generic is then allowed to be exclusive for about six months. After that period is up, other generic forms can be brought to the public from all different manufacturers. For a generic medicine to be released, the manufacturer must prove that it can achieve the same drug concentrations in the blood that the brand name does. Manufacturers of generics aren’t required to do studies in people to prove safety since it is automatically assumed that if it achieves the same blood concentration as the name brand, they will achieve the same results overall. While this makes a great deal of sense, there have been accounts of generic meds not working the same as a name brand usually due to “filler” or inactive ingredients.

The FDA does not require generic drugs to contain the same inactive ingredients as the brand name product. These inactive ingredients are those that have nothing to do with the actual medicating act of the drug. It could be binding materials, dyes, preservatives, flavoring agents, or markers. This is why your name brand medication may look different from the new, generic form you are trying. It is usually just a sign that a different manufacturer is producing the generic. Some makers of name brand drugs are the first to market with a generic version, so you may not see a visual difference at all and be taking an almost exact copy of the name brand. However, for those generic meds made by other manufacturers and given the changes in inactive ingredients, a person can have an allergic reaction. This is usually due to an ingredient that wasn’t present in the name brand or so on. Since all of our bodies and allergies are different, it is always a good idea to talk with your doctor about changing to the generic form. Remind them of any allergies you’ve encountered in the past and make sure you are making the change with them knowing you are doing so. If you do have some kind of reaction, your doctor will already be familiar with what you did differently and be more prepared to help. It should be noted that most of the time, an individual can change to a generic med with no issues. Allergic reactions definitely aren’t the norm and are usually the only issue that can present itself when making the switch.

With a little more information about the process of getting a generic med to market, hopefully you can make an educated decision the next time your pharmacist informs you that there is one available. The savings are usually quite substantial over name brands. Plus, when you use your FreeRxPlus card, you can potentially save even more! Be sure you print out your free card and present it every time you get a prescription filled whether it be generic or name brand. Head over to freerxplus.com now to get going on savings!