Generic Drugs
Most of us have taken or are taking some kind of medicine. Some of the medicines we take come in two forms, generic drugs or brand-name drugs. The two different forms of medicines for the same condition (for instance high blood pressure) have caused some confusion, and people wonder if there is a difference between the two forms. Is one form better than the other? The main difference, in fact probably the only difference, is that generic drugs are less expensive than brand-name drugs.
To further clarify, the following are some facts about generic drugs.
What are generic drugs?
A generic drug is the same as a brand-name drug :
- dosage
- safety
- strength
- quality
- the way it works
- the way it is taken
- the way it should be used
Are generic drugs as safe as brand-name drugs?
Yes. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says that all drugs must work well and be safe. Generic drugs use the same ingredients as brand-name drugs and work the same way. They have the same benefits and risks as brand-name drugs.
Are generic drugs as strong as brand-name drugs
Yes. The FDA requires generic drugs to be as:
- high quality
- strong
- pure
- stable
as brand-name drugs
Why are generic drugs less expensive?
Generic drugs are less expensive because generic manufacturers don’t have the investment costs of the developer of a new drug. New drugs are developed under patent protection. The patent protects the investment—including research, development, marketing, and promotion—by giving the company the sole right to sell the drug while it is in effect. As patents near expiration, manufacturers can apply to the FDA to sell generic versions. Because those manufacturers don’t have the same development costs, they can sell their product at substantial discounts. Also, once generic drugs are approved, there is greater competition, which keeps the price down. Today, almost half of all prescriptions are filled with generic drugs.
Are brand-name drugs made in more modern facilities than generic drugs?
No. Both brand-name and generic drug facilities must meet the same standards of good manufacturing practices. FDA won’t permit drugs to be made in substandard facilities. FDA conducts about 3,500 inspections a year to ensure standards are met. Generic firms have facilities comparable to those of brand-name firms. In fact, brand-name firms are linked to an estimated 50 percent of generic drug production. They frequently make copies of their own or other brand-name drugs but sell them without the brand name.
Why do generic drugs and brand-name drugs look different?
Trademark laws in the United States do not allow a generic drug to look exactly like the brand-name drug. The generic drug must have the same active ingredients, however.
Colors, flavors and certain other parts may be different, but these things do not affect the way the drug works or the way it is looked at by the FDA.
Do generic drugs take longer to work in the body?
No. generic drugs work in the same way and in the same amount of time as brand-name drugs.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT GENERIC DRUGS ARE SAFE, EFFECTIVE AND FDA APPROVED.
If you are currently using a medicine that is a brand-name drug, you might want to check with your doctor and pharmacist to see if there is a generic version of the medicine.
Primary source: U. S. Food and Drug Administration
http://www.fda.gov/Cder/consumerinfo/generics_q&a.htm
See also MedicineNet.com http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=46204
“Watch your Step” or “Pay Attention To The task At Hand”
This is the first chance since the start of the new year that I’ve been able to get to my computer and felt well enough to start using it. This posting explains this hiatus and is closely related to a previous posting with the title “Falls Can Kill You.”
It all started on a day during the first week of January when I was scheduled to give a presentation on Maintaining Your Health and Vitality to the Rotary Club in
Early that morning, hurrying to make sure that I will be on time and not keep the audience waiting, I was on my way down to the car with my lap top that I use for slide presentations. As I started out the front door, I thought to myself, this is silly. There are some packets of health information that I have to put in the car too. Why make two trips. So I go back in the house pick up the packets and start down the steps carrying my laptop in my left hand and the box of packets in my right hand and thinking more about the presentation than the task at hand.
What the heck, I’m a very active guy, and never use the hand rails anyway, so no problem – Right? Wrong! I forgot to take into account the “brain glitch” factor – thinking more about the presentation than the task at hand.
When I get to what I thought was the sidewalk, but wasn’t, my left foot hits the front edge of the last step, my left knee buckles to the left and I fall hard to the right. I feel something slip in my left knee. I try to stand up, but when I put weight on my left foot, the leg buckles again. “Ah ha, I thought, something’s wrong” - another brilliant deduction.
Of course, the presentation is cancelled and my wife drives me to the emergency room at a near-by hospital. My worst fears were realized. After several X-rays, it was determined that I had torn the patellar tendon from the knee cap (the large tendon that attaches the quadriceps to the knee cap. Three days later I had surgery to reattach the tendon, which resulted in a 7 inch incision with sutures secured with staples and stainless steel screws. The knee was stabilized with a knee brace and will continue to be so for another two weeks, after which I will probably start physical therapy. I was told that therapy would continue for about three months.
My therapy at this point is walking with crutches and putting about half my weight on the injured leg. The healing process is slow but I make a little progress every day. While this fall didn’t kill, it sure knocked the heck out of a knee.
So here is a guy who was in very good shape, has been very active playing tennis and working out regularly at the gym but didn’t heed his own advice, and now he is laid up for several months. In the blink of an eye, his world changed.
Take his advice; don’t be too sure of yourself or your abilities, concentrate on the task at hand and WATCH YOUR STEP!
Now that I am on the mend, I hope to be able to continue to write at least three health-related postings a week.