Healthy News

Some people are stuck on brand names in regular life. The truth is, sometimes the generic brand is just as good and the thing is, you can save a lot of money. What about with prescription medications?

Generic drugs are a LOT cheaper than the brand names in many cases. Does that mean they are inferior? The short answer is probably not.

The pharmaceutical companies that develop and release the drugs first have a lot of expenses. They’ve done research and development and marketing and clinical trials and they’ve invested a lot of money and resources into that drug. Is it fair that someone else can come along a year later and sell the same drug and reap the rewards? That other drug company hasn’t had nearly the same level of expense.

Many people prefer brand names for really critical drugs like blood pressure and heart medications, believing the drug is their safest bet. The jury might be out on that one although it’s believed by many that if a drug is approved by the FDA, it’s safe to use regardless of what logo is on the box.

Do always follow doctor’s orders but if you are being prescribed an expensive drug, it might be worthwhile to ask your doctor or pharmacist if it’s safe for you to use a generic equivalent.