Generic vs Brand Name......
Prescription Drugs
While you may be willing to give up your brand name corn flakes for their generic replica, would you ever consider buying generic prescription drugs? If you want to save huge amounts of money you would. Prescription generics typically cost between 20-80% less than their brand name counterparts. In 2008, the average retail price of a brand name prescription was $137.90 as compared to the average generic prescription price of $35.22. Just think of all the generic cereal you could buy with that extra hundred bucks!
Many consumers worry that the generic prescriptions aren't as safe as the original drugs. However, pharmaceutical companies are required to use the same active ingredients in generic drugs as the brand name version, and generic prescriptions must meet the same quality and safety standards.
Over-the-Counter Meds Just like prescription drugs, you can save some serious coin on over-the-counter meds, too. While you may be tempted to reach for the trusty Tylenol, Nyquil or Zantac, there are usually much cheaper versions of these popular over-the-counter meds on your pharmacy's shelves. The generic versions of these OTC meds contain the same active ingredients, and like their brand-name equivalents, these products must be approved by the FDA. Depending on the item, you could save tons of cash on generic meds.
Although the generic drug is supposed to have the same chemical composition, it’s not always exactly similar to the branded version. The FDA has a rating system for the efficacy of generic drug, so if you want to go in for the cheaper version, look at the label for the AB rating. It is the code that lets you know that the generic drug is equivalent to the branded one and that one dosage of this drug is equivalent to one dosage of the branded one in blood concentration, elimination rate and efficacy.
If you took a prescription pill recently, odds are it was generic: Nowadays, generics constitute almost 70 percent of all the prescriptions dispensed nationwide, racking up $58 billion in sales in 2007. Anxious to cut costs, health insurers are stampeding to switch patients to drugs that are cheaper to make, test and ultimately buy because their manufacturers can piggyback on the research and marketing already done by brand-name-drug companies. Pharmacists in most states are also free to give patients whichever version of a drug is cheapest for them to supply, without telling the prescribing doctor; in some states, pharmacies are required to make this switch. And few of us complain when it happens: Women who wouldn't dream of substituting Diet Pepsi for Diet Coke, simply because of the taste, eagerly swap vital medications, because the change can cut co-pays in half.
Problems with Generic Drugs
The first and most common problem is that the inactive ingredients are different. The inactive ingredients can affect how quickly the active ingredient is absorbed from your stomach to your body which in turn may affect how much medication you get. Also, some people may be allergic to the fillers and dyes used in the generic substitute.
The second and more serious problem involves drugs with a Narrow Therapeutic Range or Index such as Synthroid, the drug Lynn Nelson takes. Synthroid is used to regulate the thyroid. Very small changes in absorption rates can cause the drug to be ineffective, as in Nelson’s case.
“When the doctor tested me three weeks after taking the generic, it was like I was not taking a drug at all,” Nelson explained.
Even though the generic form, levothyroxine sodium, may be the bioequivalent of the brand name, Synthroid, it is not the exact same drug, and while the absorption rate for the generic may be within FDA tolerances, it is not exactly the same.
The American Thyroid Association (ATA) has surveyed thyroid experts and found that doctors believe the current FDA standards for the generic alternatives to Synthroid may lead to negative health effects in some patients.
Grapefruit Juice and Medications Don’t Always Mix
Grapefruit juice is good for you. Packed with fiber and Vitamin C, it’s a great way to start your day. But wait! What medications are you on? You need to know that grapefruit juice doesn’t mix that well with some medicines.
The foods we consume can have a profound effect on the medicines we take. They can directly affect the ability of the body to absorb the medications. Some foods lower the ability of the body to absorb medicines, while others speed up the body’s ability to absorb them.
Lowering the absorption rate can obviously decrease the effectiveness of a medication. Milk, for example, slows down the ability of your body to absorb certain antibiotics (tetracycline). Vegetables with high Vitamin K content (e.g., spinach and Brussels sprouts) can reduce the effectiveness of blood thinners like Coumadin.
Increasing the body’s ability to absorb medicines can, however, be just as bad. If your body takes in the medicine too quickly, you can suffer what amounts to an “overdose” of the medicine, with dangerous results.
Quick Absorption
Grapefruit juice falls into the quick absorption category, and there is a wide range of medicine that can cause an adverse effect when taken in close conjunction with grapefruit juice. These drugs are:
- high blood pressure drugs like Plendil and Procardia;
- immunosuppressant drugs like cyclosporines;
- high cholesterol statin-type drugs like Lipitor or Zocor;
- insomnia or depression drugs like Valium, Versed or Sonata;
- antihistamine drugs such as Hismanal; and
- protease inhibitors such as Fortovase and Invirase.
Remember….all cake mixes or recipes have the same ingredients…..It is how the cook puts it together that makes the difference
Dr George y Li Ruwwe