[amatecha]

In some ways, perhaps. The fact we frequently have to pay for prescribed medication is mind-blowingly ridiculous. Even with medical insurance (through your employer or paying for the plan yourself), you're usually forced to use generic medications if you want coverage - even when your doctor signs a Special Authority[0] form to have your medication covered. And yes, there can be pretty substantial differences between name brand and generic.

[0] https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/practitioner-profe...

[TheSpiceIsLife]

> substantial differences between name brand and generic

I was under the impression generics are molecular identical? How do they differ when the name brand version says on the pack, for example, temazepam 10mg, and the generic version says the same thing?

[throw63835]

Lolwut? Two products produced by two different companies, expected to be of the same caliber? Nonsense. Utter nonsense.

Look into the "Warning Letters" database for generics producers vs. branded. It's ridiculous the amount of things generics producers get away with (contaminated product, improper facility maintenance, improper purity and potency oversight, poor quality control).

They're not the same thing. No matter how many laymen -- or worse actual medical professionals who think they know pharma just because they sell pills -- parrot the "fillers causing side-effects" bullshit.

The only thing generics providers need to do is establish a very loose bioequivalency through self-tested experiments (the FDA doesn't conduct the experiments or oversees them, only reviews the results and methodology). Once accepted, shady decisions are easy to cover up, since the FDA only does visits infrequently.

It's like buying on Amazon. You could get the original brand's product or some knock-off. Except in this case, the knock-off is state-supported.

[Scoundreller]

> The only thing generics providers need to do is establish a very loose bioequivalency through self-tested experiments (the FDA doesn't conduct the experiments or oversees them, only reviews the results and methodology)

Though buying brand may not protect you from this. Brand name companies change up plants, processes, API suppliers, etc. without notifying end-users. They just do the same kind of testing a generic supplier may.

They have the same pressures to reduce cost as much as a generic manufacturer does.

[mehrdadn]

Layman here, but I recall reading their inactive ingredients can make a difference. (Inactive != unimportant)

[refurb]

Not sure why you’re being downvoted, but this true. For most people the inactive ingredients have no impact, but for some people they do.

[Scoundreller]

Pretty much nothing most of the time.

There are optical isomers and such that could make a difference. But even the brand names may change this up from time to time.

Then there's the whole 99% pure thing, but that 1% could be made up of highly carcinogenic nitrosamines in the microgram doses that aren't as closely tracked as they should be. But buying brand may not protect you from this, or could be worse.