Generic drugs are a controversial issue. Once the patent on a "name brand" medication expires, it allows other companies to make the same medication in "generic" form. These medications are commonly much cheaper, but the price difference as well as perceived problems with safety have led many to question whether generic drugs are as effective as brand name ones, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
Quality and Performance
According to the FDA's website, the FDA requires all generic drugs to have the same performance and quality as "name brand" drugs. As a result, generic drugs are required to have the same strength, route of administration, active ingredients and potency as the name brand medication. The FDA also evaluates effectiveness by doing a bioavailability assay, which essentially measures how much of the active medication is available for use by the body. As a result, generic drugs must get into the blood and other tissues as effectively as the brand name medication. Generics are also monitored for variability---essentially, to ensure that each dose of a generic drug is the same. The FDA enforces the same quality control standards on generic drugs as it does brand name.
Effectiveness and Price
According to the FDA's website, a study by researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School that was published in 2008 was conducted to assess the effectiveness of generic medications for cardiovascular problems vs. name brand medications. The study (which was an analysis of many other studies that the researchers collected) found that there was no evidence that brand name drugs work better than generic drugs. Another study, published in 2009, evaluated the costs of generic drugs compared to name brand medications. They found that at a typical pharmacy, the average generic drug cost $6, whereas "preferred" name brand medications typically cost $25 and "non-preferred" name brand drugs cost $40. Generic drugs are cheaper because the manufacturer does not need to spend as much money on research, development, and advertising, the FDA asserts.
Generic Drug Myths
The FDA website lists a number of myths about generic drugs that it refutes. It says that generic drugs do not significantly differ from name brand medications (in fact, the difference in absorption is only slightly more than 2 percent). They also say that there is no evidence that switching to generic medications can increase the risk of treatment failure, or in unwanted side effects. They also cite two incidents with generic drug manufacturers (specifically Actavis and Ranbaxy) as evidence that they actively regulate generic drug manufacturers.
