Same medicine, lower cost

Are mounting medical bills ruining your peace of mind? Do you dread a visit to your pharmacy? Well, you are among many Americans who are prisoners of their prescription costs. The marvels of modern medicine and a variety of wonder drugs have certainly improved quality of life, but they also put a big dent in the family budget. If you are among the many people who have to fill prescriptions on a regular basis, there is good news for you. Fortunately for American consumers, most expensive branded drugs have vastly cheaper generic alternatives.

Generic drugs are not gimmicky, cheap imitations of branded drugs. They are the FDA-approved outcome of much research and hard work from scientists in pharmaceutical companies. Four of the five biggest pharmaceutical companies in USA (by the volume of prescriptions filled), Novartis, Teva, Mylan and Watson, are generic drug manufacturers. The most important thing to understand about generic drugs is that, in essence, they are not effectively different from their brand counterpart. Every generic drug, before being introduced for consumption, has to undergo stringent testing from FDA, and has to meet a very exhaustive set of standards. Only then do they receive approval from FDA.

But, what are generic drugs? Well, generic drugs are the equivalent of drugs/formulae sold under their chemical or "generic" name, developed by other pharmaceutical companies, with FDA permission, after the patent on the original drug has expired, or proven null and void/irrelevant. In effect, they provide the same medicine, treat the same ailments, and provide the same relief … all, at a much lower cost. Since, most registered drugs have generic versions; this is a very feasible alternative to expensive brand medicines. Generic versions of drugs like Viagra and Cialis, which are used to treat Erectile Dysfunction, sell for almost half the cost of their branded versions. The savings are even more significant when purchases are made at online pharmacies.

Generic drugs like generic Viagra, generic Cialis, and so on are the new wave. They, in conjunction with online pharmacies, are the greatest strides made by the pharmaceutical industry towards more affordable medication. It is no wonder that pharmacists all over the country are switching to generic drugs. With yearly growth rates of over 10-12%, and resulting in consumer savings of US$8-10 billion every year, generic drugs are here to stay.

So, if you are going to fill out a prescription, ask your pharmacist about switching to generic versions of your prescribed drugs. Join in the pharmaceutical revolution of the twenty-first century.