Your pharmacist offers you a choice between a brand-name medication and its generic equivalent. In most situations, the only difference is a lower price. (Mayo Clinic Health Letter, Jan-2002)
http://www.newswise.com/articles/2001/12/GENERIC.MMC.html
25-Dec-01
ROCHESTER, MINN. -- Your pharmacist
offers you a choice between a brand-name medication and its generic equivalent.
In most situations, the only difference is a lower price, according to
the January issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter.
Here are some facts about generic
medications:
Quality: Generic drugs are required
by the Food and Drug Administration to have the same quality, strength,
purity and stability as their brand-name counterparts.
Effectiveness: Generic drugs deliver
the same amount of active ingredients in the same amount of time as the
original brand-name drugs.
Side effects: The FDA monitors reports
of adverse drug reactions and has found no difference between generic and
brand-name drugs.
Manufacturing: The FDA conducts thousands
of inspections annually to ensure that the manufacturing facilities for
all drug makers meet specific standards. (About half of all generic drugs
are produced by brand-name firms that make copies of their own or other
brand-name drugs.)
Even though generic drugs are the
bioequivalent to their brand-name counterparts, it's still a good idea
to check with your doctor before switching. Certain drugs need to be maintained
within narrow levels in your blood to avoid toxic side effects. These include
some medications for epilepsy, heart rhythm regulation, lung disease, thyroid
disorders and blood thinning. Changes in these medications are best done
in close consultation with your physician.
Shelly Plutowski
Mayo Clinic Health Letter is an eight-page,
monthly newsletter of reliable, accurate and practical information on today's
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Mayo Clinic
Shelly Plutowski
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