April 2006 »

Generic drugs: decipher between facts, fiction

18 April, 2006

One of the most frequent discussions in pharmacy today is the one concerning generic drugs. What are they? Are they as good? Who should use them? I will take a few lines and try to answer these questions.

What are they?

When patents expire on brand-name drugs, the generic form of that drug becomes available. The patent period is a time that the original producer of a drug is given exclusive rights to make and sell a given product. This period of time is 20 years from the time of invention. This period includes all developmental time as well as the time required for clinical studies. Usually a drug company gets 10 years or less of exclusivity with a drug product and is then called a "name-brand" drug. After the patent period has expired, others drug companies are free to make and sell the product and the term "generic" drug is used.

Are generic drugs as good as name-brand drugs?

The answer to this question isn't absolute. Patient and doctor preferences, cost, and product availability affect this determination. When considering the quality of the drug product, it is less complicated. The generic products are as good as the name brand products. Although the government allows as much as 20% variation in tested parameters, when actually measured there is less than 3% difference between the two. The labels of "generic" and "name-brand" refer more to the legal disposition of a product as it relates to the patent period and not to the quality level of the product. All drug makers are required to conform to the same set of manufacturing standards.

Who should use generic drugs?

Most consumers would choose to use generic drugs when available. The quality of the generic choice is the same as that of the brand-name product. The main difference between them is the price. Generic pharmaceuticals cost significantly less. The average cost of a generic prescription is $14.70 while the average cost of a name-brand prescription is $77.02. Yes, generics cost only about 20% of their name-brand counterparts. The total drug cost of generic prescriptions is about 19 billion dollars yearly in the United States while the cost of name-brands is nearly 100 billion. Name-brand co-pays (what the consumer pays) are commonly $40 to $70 per prescription. Generic co-pays are usually $5 to $15. Exclusive or excessive use of name-brand pharmaceuticals would rapidly bankrupt our health care system. Many millions of generic prescriptions are dispensed yearly with good value, effectiveness and safety.

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