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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Is There Any Advantage In Using An Original Drug Over Generic Drug?

Is there any advantage to staying with an original drug over using a generic ? My generic couldn t be completely filled at a local drugstore, and took 3 iterations (days) to get all 90 pills, in 3 different batches on 3 different days. East batch had a decidedly different color, which alarmed me. Thanks.
Mon, 7 Nov 2016
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General & Family Physician,  's  Response
Hi there,

Opinions differ, but personally I have never had issues choosing generics over the original. The price difference is simply because the original company invested a lot of resources into developing, researching and marketing the drug. Once the patent into the drug expires, any company can make the exact same molecule and sell it as a medication. There is no need to repeat the cycle of research, and marketing is less aggressive because people would tend to prefer generics due to the price issue.

Each company will produce the medication in their own way with their own colours and packaging, but essentially the drug will remain the same. The change in colour is probably due to the drugstore sourcing from different suppliers for the cheapest prices. This is good because ultimately the lower prices will be passed on to you. I would not worry about how they look if they are labelled clearly and the generic name of the medication is exactly what you were prescribed.

Hope this helps, and let me know if you have further questions.

Regards,
Dr. Teh
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Is There Any Advantage In Using An Original Drug Over Generic Drug?

Hi there, Opinions differ, but personally I have never had issues choosing generics over the original. The price difference is simply because the original company invested a lot of resources into developing, researching and marketing the drug. Once the patent into the drug expires, any company can make the exact same molecule and sell it as a medication. There is no need to repeat the cycle of research, and marketing is less aggressive because people would tend to prefer generics due to the price issue. Each company will produce the medication in their own way with their own colours and packaging, but essentially the drug will remain the same. The change in colour is probably due to the drugstore sourcing from different suppliers for the cheapest prices. This is good because ultimately the lower prices will be passed on to you. I would not worry about how they look if they are labelled clearly and the generic name of the medication is exactly what you were prescribed. Hope this helps, and let me know if you have further questions. Regards, Dr. Teh