Generic Drugs: Myths & Facts

by Matt Jennings, MedTrak Services
Overland Park, Kansas 

When it comes to paying low prices for generic drugs, consumers want to know: are they really as good as their brand name equivalents?  Here are five facts to help you decide.

MYTH: Generics take longer to act in the body.
FACT: The companies seeking to sell a generic drug must show that their drug delivers the same amount of active ingredients in the same time frame as the original product.

MYTH: Generics are not as potent as brand name drugs. 
FACT: The FDA requires generics to have the same quality, strength, purity, and stability as brand-name drugs

MYTH: Generics are not as safe as brand-name drugs.
FACT: The FDA requires that all drugs be safe and effective and that their benefits outweigh their risks.

MYTH: Brand-name drugs are made in modern manufacturing facilities, and generics are made in substandard facilities.
FACT: The FDA won't permit drugs to be made in substandard facilities.  The FDA conducts about 3,500 inspections a year in all companies to ensure standards are met.  Generic firms have facilities comparable to those of brand-name firms.  In fact, brand-name firms account for an estimated 50% of generic production.  They frequently make copies of their own or other brand-name drugs but sell them without the brand name.

MYTH: Generic drugs are likely to cause more side effects.
FACT: There is no evidence of this.  The FDA monitors reports of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and has found no difference in the ADR rates between generic and brand-name drugs.