- Consumers generally pay 30 to 50 percent less when a generic drug is dispensed instead of the brand-name drug.
- Generic equivalents must meet strict Food and Drug Administration guidelines and receive FDA approval prior to marketing.
- Generic drugs must contain the same active ingredient as the brand-name counterpart; and be identical in strength, dosage form, and route of administration.
- Manufacturers must also prove that the generic product will supply the same amount of the active ingredient in the body, at the same rate, as the brand-name drug.
- Ask your doctor to write prescriptions for generic drugs when possible.
- If your doctor prescribes a specific brand-name drug, your pharmacist must fill the prescription as written and cannot substitute. Your pharmacist can talk with your doctor about the prescriptions
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