Do you think brand name prescription medicines are better than generics?

I don't generally buy generic brands.

I don't, for some reason, trust that the ingredients are exactly the same, so I do not think it is worth substituting.

by Finy

No they are NOT the same with some..... I have proven it.

I think they're the same. I mean, the active ingredients are, so I think the difference is like any other brand name/generic brand combo - if you buy the brand, you pay for the brand.

by Vee

I DO use generic prescription medicines after my chemist and my doctor explained to me that they are actually identical and yet can save me quite a lot of money! Not all medications have a generic equivalent,but the ones which do,definitely are on my lit!

by Jules

GREAT Question!

I was taking the Brand Name only.

Then one day they ran out of brand name anti-depression tablets.
So I said to the nice girl over the counter ''Oh!''.
She said ''we have the chemist brand''...and I bought them, took one....and it was NOT a good outcome.
I went back later, told them....they just said it is the same ingredients.

Well, I learnt always take the original.
I was half scared to death, with the reaction.

Do I think it could have been just me....sure!
But I also believe I am not the only person, to suffer adverse effects.

by jonaja

I use the generic where possible.

by Fran

I don't buy a lot of prescription medication, but when I do I get a generic brand where possible - except kids panandol...the panadol has a better dispenser than the generic brand making it far less messy and more convenient!

by lizzi

I don't think they are any better than generic brands. My 3 yr Old was ill recently. I went through different high end and low end brands, he didn't get better any faster.

by dwatk

I always get generic and take the Asmol version of Ventolin with no problems.

by thriftyfrugalfun

I don't buy a lot of medication so I haven't had to think about this

by AJ

Depends. For some reason with antibiotics and the like I don't care. But for over the counter medicines like antihistamines I prefer the name brands. No doubt psychosomatic.

by shayd

Yes. Will not buy generic, because Dr would've written that on script, if that's what he wanted me to have for whatever medical condition at the time.

by donjo

I always. do, my GP thinks they are OK.

by jillr

the opposite of the placebo effect is called the nocebo effect i.e although it is identical you convince yourself it won't work as well as "the real thing" and so it doesn't.

by beleg

Not necessarily. The generic items have the same components as brand names and are so much cheaper. Generally your GP and pharmacist have no problems with you using generic medicines and I trust their judgement. The only medication I take is Arimidex for breast cancer, and have used both the generic and brand name with no discernible difference.

by norma

Yes, but disappointed that in many instances Chemists charge more than if I elect to have Generic brands.
Why do they charge more for something that is prescribed on the script?
Farley

by farle

I'm not sure quite honestly, I mean we do buy generic brand medication when offered, and I also buy generic headache tablets, I find them as good as the other ones.

by Diana Nairn

I do use generics but I usually check the country of manufacture, happy if Australia or Germany where my generic reflux medication is made . I am very concerned with the quality of a major generic brand sold here that has been banned at times by the FDA in America due to poor quality control, they are made in India. I read about this after receiving this brand reflux medication from a different chemist after I moved last year, it did not control my reflux at all and I started having awful side effects of dizziness, drowsiness and disorientation to the extent I stopped driving for safety reasons. I stopped taking them within the first week of starting. Now could have been just me reacting to one of the non active ingredients to be fair, I am an allergic type. But now my daughter has now fallen pregnant a few months after swapping to the same generic brand of her pill she had been on for 10 + years. She swears she did nothing wrong- no missed tablets, no sickness, took it at the same time, correct storage etc. Fortunately they were planning for a baby but later this year, so they are happy about the news now after the initial surprise. Hubbie and I are delighted. But I'm still suspicious about this brands quality which I have fed back to the pharmacist and the Department of Health Therapeutics Goods Administration, both have dismissed any concerns for the public. Googling the brand on the web raises alarm bells though, there is a class action overseas from pregnant woman who took there pill and fell pregnant. The company says the problem has been fixed , but has it?

by pslan

I would not even consider buying generic brand medications, they say they are the same components, I have been told that they differ just a bit to the brand name medication. who knows what that little bit of difference is ? could be anything

by flaga