HealthQuest

When pharmaceutical companies develop medications they own the patent for 20 years. This allows them to recover the costs associated with creating new medicines. After the patent expires, other companies are able to develop and sell the product under a different name and label. How do brand name and generic drugs compare? Both use the same “active ingredients” and are FDA approved. They are also the same in terms of strength, quality and safety. The difference is in the price. Ask your physician if any of your medicines are available in a generic brand. Most prescription insurance policies also require a smaller co-pay, if you switch to generics. You could save a significant amount of money while still receiving the same medicinal benefits!

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