1) More than one-third of all prescriptions in the U.S. are filled with generic drugs.
The use of generic-name drugs is increasing every year, as brand-name drugs lose their patent monopolies and equivalent generic drugs are approved by the FDA. Ask your physician and pharmacist if your prescription can be filled
with a therapeutically equivalent generic drug.
2) Generic drugs will save you money.
Consumers generally pay 30 to 50 percent less when an equivalent generic drug is dispensed instead of the brand-name version. Because generic manufactureres compete against each other, the prices of generic drugs remain affordable year after year. Brand-name drug companies, in contrast, usually do not respond to generic price competition; some brand-name drug prices have been rising higher than the rate of inflation.
3) Generic drugs are strictly regulated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Unlike other "generic" products, such as those found in supermarkets, generic drugs are required to have FDA approval. Generic manufacturers must demonstrate to the FDA that a generic drug will have the same medical effect as its brand-name equivalent, by measuring the rate and extent of drug absorption. Generic drugs must also contain identical amounts of the same active drug ingredients, in the same dosage form and strength, as their brand-name counterparts.
4) Generic drugs have had a long history of safe and effective use.
Since 1970, the FDA hs approved almost 9,000 generic drug products as therapeutically equivalent to brand-name products. These generics have been used billions of times by millions of patients, demonstrating again that brand-name and generic-name drugs have the same effect in the body.
5) The FDA's standards for quality are the same for all manufacturers.
All pharmaceutical companies - brand and generic - must demonstrate that their approved manufacturing processes will produce the same consistent quality each time a product is manufactured. About 55 percent of generic drugs in the U.S. are made by brand-name drug companies; 45 percent are produced by companies that specialize in the manufacture of generic drugs.
6) All prescription drugs have generic names, and all states encourage generic substitution.
The generic name of a drug is the chemical or scientific name, which describes the active drug ingredients. Brand names are used only for marketing purposes. Because of the significant savings and excellent quality that generic drugs offer, all 50 states have laws allowing your pharmacist --with your doctor's approval--to substitute equivalent generic drugs for prescriptions written using the brand name.
7) The best source of information about prescription drugs is your pharmacist.
As the health professional with many years of training and experience in the use of pharmaceuticals, your pharmacist can answer any questions you have about your medications and their proper use.
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For more information about generic drugs contact:
Generic Pharmaceutical Industry Association
200 Madison Ave., Suite 2404, New York, NY 10016