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Over the next decade, a number of the most well-known brand name pharmaceuticals should lose patent protection, allowing the introduction of more affordable generic versions of these blockbuster products. Currently, there are 7,602 pharmaceutical products of the 10,375 drugs listed in the FDA’s Orange Book where generic versions are available. Within the next three years, 27 brand name pharmaceuticals with annual sales of more than $37 billion should go off patent. The timely introduction of generic versions of these popular products should create new opportunities for consumer savings.

Experts from Brandeis University published an analysis, the latest in a long list of studies, that confirms that increasing the usage of generic drugs can have a dramatic effect on cost savings. The study, "Greater Use of Generics: A Prescription for Drug Cost Savings," is the first systematic research quantifying the potential savings that can be realized from the greater use of generics.

In the United States, trademark laws do not allow a generic drug to look exactly like the brand-name drug. However, a generic drug must duplicate the active ingredient. Colors, flavors, and certain other inactive ingredients may be different.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of savings can I expect by using generic medicines?

Generic pharmaceuticals can cost 30 - 80% less than the equivalent, brand product. Of every healthcare dollar spent on medicines, consumers spend less than a dime on generic drugs, and the other $0.90 on brand products. This is despite the fact the generics are dispensed for nearly half of all prescriptions.

What does this savings mean for you, the consumer?

In 2004, the average price of a prescription dispensed with a generic drug was $28.74. The average price of a prescription dispensed with a brand name drug was $96.01. That’s a difference of $67.27 when the generic drug is substituted for the brand product. That’s a savings every American can use. Generics offer these savings without sacrificing quality, safety or effectiveness.

Why does my employer encourage the use of generic drugs?

America’s prescription drug bill is growing out of sight. Our total prescription drug bill has risen more than 15% or more per year over the past seven years. The top 50 selling drugs accounted for 44.4% of the total drug sales in 2001. Sales of these 50 drugs grew 21.4% in 2001. The total prescription drug expenditure in 2000 was $121.8 billion, or approximately $430 per person. Of that total, approximately $11 billion, or $38 per person, was spent on generic pharmaceuticals.

That means more generics are being dispensed, and people are paying less for them. Thus, using more generic drugs could help us lower our overall spending on medicines, which is good for employers, insurers and every consumer.

Why are generic drugs sometimes a different color or shape than the brand version and does this matter?

Sometimes a brand company patents the appearance of the drug, thus prohibiting a generic manufacturer from adopting it. These cosmetic differences in no way impact the safety or effectiveness of the generic version.

I’ve heard that, to save money, generic companies can manufacture their versions of drugs to less rigorous standards than those to which the brand companies must adhere. Is this true?

Absolutely not. The FDA requires all manufacturers and their facilities to adhere to specific guidelines, called Good Manufacturing Practices, no matter what the drug and no matter who the manufacturer.

Are the non-active ("inert") ingredients in generic medicines as good as those in brand name drugs?

Everything that goes into a medicine must be approved by the FDA, including the inert ingredients. Sometimes a generic manufacturer must change one or more of these because the brand company has patented the formulation of the specific drug. These changes in no way affect the effectiveness of the drug, since the generic manufacturer must show the FDA that the active ingredient still gets into your body to the same extent and rate as the brand name.

Who can the consumer turn to for more information about the benefits of generic products?

The pharmacist plays a key role in explaining the quality, medicinal comparability and financial benefits offered by generic products. Recent surveys show that when consumers discuss generic pharmaceuticals with their pharmacists, the overwhelming majority conclude that generic products represent an important healthcare alternative, one that is as safe and effective as the branded product.

Your physician can also help you decide if a generic alternative is available for treating your illness.

Consult with these healthcare professionals: they are consumers too, and understand the value of generics.

More and more, consumers are asking their doctor or pharmacist if a generic drug is available to treat their illness, and save them money. Two recent surveys confirm that generic pharmaceutical products increasingly are being embraced by consumers.

A 2002 survey conducted by ChangeWave Research, an investment research firm, demonstrated the increasing acceptance of generic pharmaceuticals. More than half of consumers surveyed - 59 percent - said they currently ask their doctor if a generic drug is available at the time they get a prescription. And 67 percent said their insurance companies either advise or require them to accept generics. Meanwhile, 76 percent of health-care professionals said physicians are more willing to prescribe generics now than they were a year ago. And 90 percent of health care professionals said insurance companies and other payers were increasing pressure to prescribe generics.

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