Name Brand vs. Generic:
No Appointment Necessary

Aired on Superstation WGN
Saturday, October 8 and December 31, 2005

Show 226

Dr. Lisa Thornton:

My patients often ask me if generic medications are as good as the name brand, here's the answer.

Jami Snow, PharmD:

I get that question quite often. And I encourage my patients to take the generic equivalent of a brand medication. Because of cost savings, patients are interested in receiving the generic equivalent of brand name medications.

Brand name medications are made by manufacturers who apply for a patent, do the research and the testing prior to bringing it to the market. When a patent expires, other manufacturers are able to produce the medication in the same chemical form and market it under the generic name.

Generic medications may have a significantly lower cost but the same high quality as a brand medication. I welcome questions about generics because it lets me explain the benefits to my patients.