More than four in five adults use over-the-counter drugs to treat small problems. But when shopping for these medicines, you may see multiple private label brands.
Luckily, these generic drugs can be just as effective as the name brand. So if you care about your medical care, consider why you should choose generic medication.
Lower Price
The most significant reason for choosing generic drugs over name brand options is the cost. A name-brand drug is more expensive for a few reasons.
First, the company that made the drug needs to make up the cost of the research and development. They also had to pay for a patent and drug approval.
However, once the patent expires, other companies can make the same drug. They don’t need to go through the same process, so private label brands are almost always cheaper.
You can find these medications at many pharmacies and department stores. If you can find the name-brand medicine, a generic is probably nearby.
Same Standards
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires private label brands to follow the same standards as name brands. It doesn’t matter what generic drugs you take, they have to be of good quality.
Generic drugs have to use the same active ingredient as the name brand. They also need to have the same strength and application method.
While generics don’t need to have the same formulation, their inactive ingredients need to be appropriate. Manufacturing standards also need to be the same for generic drugs as brand name drugs.
The generic drug has to be almost the same as the original medicine. If there are too many differences, the FDA won’t allow the generic to hit the market.
Similar Dosages
Private label brands have to offer the same dosage options as the name brand drug. That way, consumers can take the medication the same way.
If a name brand drug recommends a dose of 200 milligrams (mg) per day, the private label brands need to offer that as well.
Whether switching from the name brand or starting the drug, people need to be able to take the drug correctly. You should be able to compare the labels and see similar dosage options.
If a medication differs, you’ll need to adjust how many pills you take. When looking at generic drugs, make sure their dosages line up with the name brand.
Same Benefits
Because of the strict standards, generic drugs also need to provide the same benefits as the name brand. They should be able to treat the same condition without more adverse effects.
Occasionally, generic drugs may not work as well. But private label brands that comply with FDA standards should work the same.
Drug companies need to show the FDA that their product works as well as the one on the market. Taking generic drugs for the first time can be strange, but it’s perfectly normal.
As long as you consider generic drug names with a good reputation, you shouldn’t have any problems. You should be able to get the same results if you spent more on the name brand drug.
Similar Structure
Private label brands also need to make their drugs with the same structure as the name brand. If a name brand comes in a capsule, generic drugs will need to be that way.
The same is true for tablets and injectable medications. While you may find a name brand with different structures, the generic drugs should follow at least one of those options.
Tablets and capsules work quite differently, with tablets taking longer to absorb. That difference can be crucial for certain generic drugs.
Neither form is always better than the other, but you want to keep the medication consistent. That will help generic drugs work more similarly to the name brand they’re trying to emulate.
Easy to Find
When looking for generic drugs, you may see private labels and white labels. But what is a private label product? Private label brands are those that are unique to the store.
If Walmart sells a version of a drug, that would be their private label. However, you can find a white label in pharmaceuticals at multiple stores.
Either way, generic drugs are easy to find no matter the label type. While a pharmacy may only have one space for the name brand, generics will be there too.
A pharmacy may have both a white label and a private label. The generic drugs will usually be by the name brand product. But because of the different private labels brands, they may stand out more.
More Choices
Because you can find multiple private labels, you have more options when choosing generic drugs. If you like one drug company over the others, you can stick with that.
But when you use name-brand drugs, you have to use the medicine from that company. If they slightly change the inactive ingredients, it may be harder for you to switch.
However, if one generic drug brand is out of stock or changes its formula, you have other options. You don’t have to worry about switching from a name brand.
Differences Are Small
While generic drugs are very similar to their name brand counterparts, there are some differences. The shape and color of the pill are probably not going to be the same.
Package design may also differ between generic drugs and name brands. All of that is okay, and those differences shouldn’t affect the medication.
It can be easy to judge a medication of off how it looks or feels. But you should consider the drug components. As long as they match the FDA requirements, you can take the medication without worry.
Choosing Private Label Brands
When looking for over-the-counter drugs, you have a few options. The name brand may seem the most trustworthy, but private label brands can be just as good.
You can get the same quality and treatment but for a lower price. It doesn’t matter what condition you need to treat; you can get the medication you need.
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