• 02
  • August
    2011

According to CNN, a number of name brand prescription medications will soon be going generic and become more available to the public.

According to the report, the exclusive rights to marketing at least 22 different drugs are set to expire soon, and they may become available as generic medications within the next year.

The following drugs, according to Medco, are expected to become generic in the next year:

Lipitor: cholesterol drug, goes generic in November.

Solodyn: treats bacterial infections, goes generic in November.

Zyprexa: treats schizophrenia, goes generic in October.

Lexapro: treats depression, goes generic in March

Provigil: treats sleep problems, goes generic in April

Plavix: used to prevent blood clots, goes generic in May.

Singulair, Asthma drug, goes generic in August 2012.

According to the FDA, the regulations granting exclusive rights to market new drugs are designed to strike a balance between innovation of new drugs and affording competition for generic drug companies.

Name brands can be quite expensive. According to CNN, a 30-day supply of 20mg Lipitor amounts to $186, 10 mg Singulair costs $182, 75 mg Plavix is $215, and 5 mg Zyprexa costs over $400. Having generic drugs on the market can certainly save patients a lot of money.

Generic medications can certainly be a boon for many patients, but it is important to realize that generics aren't always the exact same thing as the name brands. The ingredients may be sourced from a different supplier in a country where safety regulations aren't as stringent. The FDA doesn't personally monitor the safety of the various ingredients used in generic medications.

Further, generic companies are not held to the same standard of care as name brand companies. As a recent Supreme Court decision illustrated, plaintiffs injured by generic drugs cannot bring state law product liability claims against generic drug manufacturers for inadequacy of warning labels.

Generics are, by and large, safe to use. But consumers do well to be aware of the potential risks.

Source: CNN, "Big-name drugs go generic," Aaron Cooper, 26 July 2011.

Tags: generic drugs, pharmaceutical liability