Brand Vs. Generic: What You Should Know Before You Enter the Pharmacy
Prescribing Coumadin itself is an entirely different science. The skills needed to properly use the correct milligrams is very specialized, and not for the meek or unsure cardiologist. It is an anti-coagulant drug, meaning in laymen’s terms “a blood thinner.” Imagine your doctor prescribing too much of the drug and causing your blood to become too thin, a cut can be devastating. If the doctor does not provide a high enough dosage, a blood clot could be inevitable. This is not a drug to mess around with. Not for humans, or for rats. It was a popular poisonous agent used to kill rats for a long while. Now it is saving people’s lives. Patients must be extremly aware of their dosing schedule and keep up with it. If not, the results could be tragic.
In 1997 the generic form of coumadin was approved. Three companies provided their own genric, claiming it was completely safe. Studies done in 1970’s and 1980’s claimed otherwise. They said that generics could change the anti-coagulation. Grant you, these studies were done before the FDA generic approval in 1997, but still to this done these rest results raise cause for concern.
In human terms, what is a generic drug, and how does the FDA say it’s alright?
First, the drug has to have exactly the same dosage, intended use, and side effects. The generic cannot claim to do more than the brand. Generics are always cheaper than brand because the manufacturer does not have to spend the time nor money on developing a new drug. When numerous companies apply for an allowance to make a generic, this drives the cost down even more. Companies such as Watson, Wyeth, Ivax and Geneva-Sandova are four of the biggest generic makers out there.
The FDA reports that around 50% of the generic manufacturing comes from brand companies. This means Merck and other brand name companies still own most of the rights to a drug. They do lose a large amount of profits from generics, but not as huge as some may think. Think of it this way: at a retail level you have store brand double AA batteries. When those batteries were shipped, did you know that Duracell manufactured them? So you get the same quality, but at a cheaper price. Brand products cost much more to make and market. Notice the huge number of drug commercials on television these days? All that factors into the cost per pill. Retail pharmacies are looking to promote generics. They get “graded” as far as the ration of generic to brand. Every week a report prints out telling them the exact percentages.
Generic pills have to look different than the brand. Your Valium pill you might fight to be a pink square with a “V” cut out in the middle, but the Diazepam from Mylan could be pink, round with no cut out at all.
Is there a huge difference between brand and generic? No. But you must be careful. Although the active ingredients are required by the FDA to be the same, the inactive ingredients do not have to be. This means that you might be okay with the brand, it does not bother your stomach, but when you take the generic you stomach gets upset. Or vice versa. The drug company might use a different product to “buffer” or “enteric coat” the drug. So take note if you feel any changes.
Is taking the generic instead of brand a good switch? The answer in most cases is a resounding yes. It puts money back into your pocket. A pharmacy must ask you before just switching you to the generic. Whether it be at the pick up counter or drop off, you have a right know why they switched, and have a right to speak with a doctor. Most pharmacies have a statement of “We can switch your brand medication to a lower costing generic medication unless you do not want it.” Think first and consult. Generics are a great way to save money, and save you some time.
