ARE Generics the Same?

The next time you're getting medication for your Migraines or for anything else, and someone tells you, "Generics are just as good as brand names," you might want to do some checking. We've all heard it, haven't we? You know the drill, especially if an insurance company is involved...

"Buy the generic..."

"You can save money with the generic..."

"The generic is just as good..."

"The generic has to have exactly the same active ingredient as the brand name. The FDA says so."

"The FDA says so?" Do they really? Well, not exactly. When it comes to bioavailability, by the current FDA regulations, generics can be anywhere from 20% below to 20% above the brand name. (Bioavailability is the rate at which a medication is rate at which a substance (such as a medication) is absorbed into the body and made available at its site of action.) If your pharmacy happens to fill your prescription with a generic from one company one time, and another company the next, there could be up to a 40% variance.

To me, that doesn't sound the same at all.

Live well,

PS: I learned about this while researching an article about problems with different topiramate (Topamax) generics. If you'd like to read that article, you can find it HERE.