Generic Drugs: The Affordable and Effective Alternative to Brand Name Drugs.

Generic drugs provide an affordable alternative to brand name drugs. Today, nearly 8 out of 10 prescriptions filled in the United States are for generic drugs. That number is expected to grow as the patents for brand name drugs expire. We've outlined some facts, from the Food and Drug Administration, that may help answer your questions about generic drug; and give you confidence in knowing that your not sacrificing effectiveness for savings.
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Fact 1: The FDA requires generic drugs to have the same quality and performance as brand name drugs.

• When a generic drug product is approved, it has met rigorous standards established by the FDA with respect to identity, strength, quality, purity, and potency.  
• Generic drugs are required to have the same active ingredient, strength, dosage, form and route of administration as the brand name product.
• The generic drug manufacturer must prove its drug is the same as (bio-equivalent) the brand name drug.
• Through review of bio-equivalence data, the FDA ensures that the generic product performs the same as its respective brand name product.
• All generic manufacturing, packaging, and testing sites must pass the same quality standards as those of brand name drugs, and the generic products must meet the same exacting specification as any brand name product. In fact, many generic drugs are made in the same manufacturing plants as brand name drug products.

Fact 2: Research shows that generic work just as well as brand name drugs.

• A study evaluated the results of 38 published clinical trials that compared cardiovascular generic drugs to their brand name counterparts. There was no evidence that brand name heart drugs worked any better than generic heart drugs. (1)

Fact 3: Cheaper does not mean lower quality.

• Generic manufacturers are able to sell their products for lower prices, because they are not required to repeat the costly clinical trials of new drugs and generally do not pay for costly advertising, marketing, and promotion.

Fact 4: The FDA monitors adverse events reports for generic drugs.

• The monitoring of adverse events for all drug products, including generic drugs, is one aspect of the overall FDA effort to evaluate the safety of drugs after approval.
• Reports are monitored and investigated, when appropriate. The investigation may lead to changes in how a product (brand name or generic) is used or manufactured.

Fact 5: On average, the cost of a generic drug is 80-85% lower than the brand name product.

• In 2010 alone, the use of FDA-approved generic saved $159 billion, an average of $3 billion every week. (3)

Good Neighbor Rx is committed to providing all users with free access to finding the best price for their prescriptions - brand name or generic.  We simply wanted to help answer some questions that you may have regarding generic prescription drugs. Click on the link below to download the free Good Neighbor Rx mobile app to shop for the best price on your prescriptions. Happy Savings!

Original Source: https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/BuyingUsingMedicineSafely/UnderstandingGenericDrugs/ucm167991.htm#_ftn3

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