Are Generic Drugs are Safe?
 Everyone knows that generic drugs can save you money, and they're the
same as pricier brand-name varieties, so why not
use a generic drug if you can get it, right?
Maybe not.
While many insurance companies require you to buy the generic if it
is available, and most patients do it willingly, there are some
inconsistencies in the mixture.
A generic drug is supposed to be identical or equivalent to the brand
name in it's dosage, quality and performance. But, they cost as
much as 80% less than the name brand drugs.
This may sound good, but people have been reporting much different
results on the generic drugs.
Prevention magazine had ConsumerLab.com test the antidepressant Wellbutrin
along with three of it's generic equivalents. Two
generics were found to be comparable, but the third, Budeprion XL
300, was not. In Budeprion, the active
ingredient was released at a different rate than in
Wellbutrin.
Wellbutrin only releases 8% of it's active ingredient in the first
two hours, but Budeprion released 34% in that same time. This
means that the patient had a huge amount of the drug in their system
shortly after taking it, but had very little later.
So, if you do decide to take a generic, watch for
changes in how you feel. If it doesn't work as
well, you might try a generic made by a different
company.
If you do have problems, consult your pharmacist and your doctor to
see if the problem can be remedied. The FDA is also interested in
problems with generic drugs and can investigate discrepancies.
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