Generic vs. Brand-Name Drugs
Generic drugs are nearly identical to the originals. The reason brand-name drugs cost more isn’t because they’re more effective.
It’s because drug companies have to earn back the money they sank into creating, testing, and marketing them.
Once a company’s drug patent expires (typically after 20 years; manufacturers apply for the patent before the drug hits the market), other manufacturers can apply to the FDA for permission to make and sell generic versions of that drug.
For some people inactive ingredients such as binders and fillers might cause a generic drug to be absorbed at a different rate from the brand-name version. Just ask your doctor whether a generic will work for you. [source: Men's Health]
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08-09-07 at 8:41 pm
Also, be prepared for the generic pills to be twice the size of the name brand, without coating and shaped in a way that makes them hard to swallow or cut. That's been my experience, and I have a lot of it - I've been taking at least eight different meds a day for many, many years. As bad as the generics can be, however, the cost difference makes them tolerable.