On the surface it seems like filling a prescription should be a very easy thing. The doctor writes the script and you go to the pharmacy and get it filled.End of story. It would be nice if it were that easy. Today we have to make all sorts of choices when we fill our prescriptions. The big decision we will all have to make at one point or the other is whether or not to use a generic alternative to the brand name medicine that your doctor has prescribed. In making that decision it helps to understand the features of generic medication versus name brands.

In simplest terms a generic medicine is simply a copy of a brand name drug. The key components—dosage, active ingredient, side effects, method of dispensing, and intended effects are identical. What may be different are the inactive ingredients such as binders, fillers, colorings, etc. For all intents and purposes the features of a generic medication are just the same as those for prescription.The fact that generic drugs are essentially the same as prescription begs the question why are they so cheap? That question is really two parts. A drug becomes a generic when the patent for its manufacture expires. This means that the company that developed the drug no longer owns exclusive rights to the drug and anyone can produce it. The company that created the drug has borne the burden of the research and testing that is required and it has done a significant amount of advertising to make doctors and patients aware of the drug.

Companies that manufacture generic drugs do not have to make the huge expenses that were made to support the drug early on. This is how the prices are kept so low. Many people assume that the low cost is also attributable to inferior ingredients. The ingredients, however, are not a factor since manufacturers of generic drugs must comply with the same regulations that branded drug makers are required to follow. All the standards for cleanliness, purity of ingredients and efficiency of the production lines are still in force. In other words, there is no reason to think that the ngredients that go into generic drugs are any less safe or effective than name brands.

Having said that, some doctors prefer to write scripts for brand name only for many drugs. An example of this is the popular thyroid medication Synthroid. Even though there is a generic equivalent for this drug, most doctors find that the brand name works better.

While you don’t always have the option to purchase a generic medicine instead of a brand named one, you need not worry about the quality of the drug as long as you are getting it from a certified pharmacy. If you are concerned about your medicines and the whole issue of brand versus generic you would do well to talk it over with your doctor. You may find that he or she has a good reason for sticking with a name brand. On the other hand, if your doctor knows that you are living on a budget he or she may be able t to switch you to a generic version of whatever medicines you are currently taking.