It is not unusual for the general public to hesitate about consuming generic drugs. The powerful marketing campaigns behind brand names have really convinced us that "brand" is better. I have done enough reading on this issue to know that the use of generic drugs will not only save our healthcare system but the treatment outcomes are not different than using more expensive drugs. There are a couple of places you may want to check:
Although I am not a friend of prescriptions drugs and prefer trying a natural approach first, I realized that prescription drugs are a necessary evil in many cases. As a 20-year veteran in the healthcare field including running medical facilities. I learned to listen to the research and organizations committed to watching over our health and at the same time hoping to save our healthcare system by re-educating physicians and patients about generic drugs, without risking patient health outcomes. Most physicians support generic drugs when available more than ever before, it is mostly the patient who has grown enamored and convinced that brand names are better due to the million of dollars spent by pharma on marketing campaigns i.e. TV commercials, full page magazine ads. These marketing strategies influence perception not just of patients but physicians as well. As more and more brand name patents expire in the near future we will see an increase on generics drugs available in the market, thus being prescribed and/or covered by insurance.
A good place to check your doubts is the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) organization, an industry group for U.S. pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies that advocates for patients. You can contact them to get more information on your concern.
http://www.phrma.org
Also the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) just published an article about this on their Dec 2 issue. The focus is on generic versus brand drugs to treat cardiovascular conditions.
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/300/21/2514
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It is not unusual for the general public to hesitate about consuming generic drugs. The powerful marketing campaigns behind brand names have really convinced us that "brand" is better. I have done enough reading on this issue to know that the use of generic drugs will not only save our healthcare system but the treatment outcomes are not different than using more expensive drugs. There are a couple of places you may want to check:
http://www.fda.gov/buyonlineguide/generics_q&a.htm
Although I am not a friend of prescriptions drugs and prefer trying a natural approach first, I realized that prescription drugs are a necessary evil in many cases. As a 20-year veteran in the healthcare field including running medical facilities. I learned to listen to the research and organizations committed to watching over our health and at the same time hoping to save our healthcare system by re-educating physicians and patients about generic drugs, without risking patient health outcomes. Most physicians support generic drugs when available more than ever before, it is mostly the patient who has grown enamored and convinced that brand names are better due to the million of dollars spent by pharma on marketing campaigns i.e. TV commercials, full page magazine ads. These marketing strategies influence perception not just of patients but physicians as well. As more and more brand name patents expire in the near future we will see an increase on generics drugs available in the market, thus being prescribed and/or covered by insurance.
A good place to check your doubts is the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) organization, an industry group for U.S. pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies that advocates for patients. You can contact them to get more information on your concern.
http://www.phrma.org
Also the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) just published an article about this on their Dec 2 issue. The focus is on generic versus brand drugs to treat cardiovascular conditions.
December 3, 2008 - 1:51pmhttp://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/300/21/2514
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