Is there any difference in quality between name-brand drugs and generics?
Dear Cecil: When I buy over-the-counter pharmaceuticals from our local drug store, I always buy the house brand. The active ingredients and dosages in Tylenol (acetaminophen) are identical to that of the copy. The same is true of the Motrin alternative, the Sudafed clone, and so on — and they’re all much cheaper. However, my wife insists on buying a brand name — she thinks I’m some kind of cheapskate. If the active ingredients in these drugs are the same, is there any difference in the quality of a brand name versus a house brand? — Dave C., Wisconsin Cecil replies: Let’s put it this way: the differences are small. That doesn’t mean they aren’t important. It also doesn’t mean they are. When the patents on a name-brand drug expire and competitors flood the market with knockoffs, prices can drop to astounding depths. In a quick survey of ten common drugs, my assistant Una found generics offered savings of 15 to 94 percent off name-brand prices, with the average around 60 percent. (The mo
