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The generic drugs website page offers information about generic drugs, prescription and nonprescription, and the opportunity to order drugs through an online pharmacy, including Canadian pharmacies.
Some wonder why generic products are important.
Inside Medicine: Generics cut cost, not quality
According to Dr. Michael Wikes in a report published Sunday, Jan. 11, 2009 in The Sacramento Bee, "Generic drugs sell for a fraction of the cost of trade-name drugs and allow many people to take drugs they otherwise could not afford."
FTC Sues Three Drugmakers Over Generic-Drug Settlement
February 2, 2009 from CNN:
WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- In its latest attack on pharmaceutical settlements that delay the entry of generic drugs, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has filed a lawsuit charging three drug makers with conspiring to postpone generic competition for a leading testosterone-replacement drug. More. . .
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
You might want to check out the Food and Drug Administration website page dedicated to generic drugs. A number of important questions about generic drugs are addressed on their website, such as "what are generic drugs?" and "is a generic product available for a brand name drug?" Here are two pages from the FDA website that are a good places to start:
What are Generic Drugs?
The FDA Office of Generic Drugs website answers this question. Here is a quote from their site:
A generic drug is identical, or bioequivalent to a brand name drug in dosage form, safety, strength, route of administration, quality, performance characteristics and intended use. Although generic drugs are chemically identical to their branded counterparts, they are typically sold at substantial discounts from the branded price. According to the Congressional Budget Office, generic drugs save consumers an estimated $8 to $10 billion a year at retail pharmacies. Even more billions are saved when hospitals use generics.
Your can read more on their website. The website address for the Office of Generic Drugs is: http://www.fda.gov/cder/ogd.
Here is their mailing address:
Office of Generic Drugs
Center for Drug Evaluation and Research
OGD Document Room
7500 Standish Place
Rockville, MD 20855
Discount Drugs
Wegmans to fill generic antibiotics for free
Wegmans will fill generic antibiotic prescriptions for free over the next three months - a move that representatives of the Rochester-based grocery chain promote as helping recession-weary customers, that business experts link to a nationwide marketing trend, and that doctors fear could encourage excessive use of antibiotics.
Giant Food jumps into discount drug wars
Giant Food LLC will offer 350 generic drugs for $9.99 at its pharmacies in Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and Washington, D.C.
The change affects the Landover-based company's 165 pharmacies. The deal allows up to a 90-day supply of the discounted drugs.
New Giant Pharmacy Program Offers Relief for Your Family and Your Wallet
LANDOVER, Md. – Americans are experiencing rising prices on many essentials, including the medications they need. In fact, prescription drugs represent one of the fastest-growing medical expenses. From 1990 to 2005, spending on prescription drugs increased from $40.3 billion to $200.7 billion, according to a recent report published by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Wal-Mart Sells Cheap Generic Drugs
According to a September 21, 2006 Market Watch report, Wal-Mart began selling 300 generic drugs for $4 per prescription in Florida.
A BusinessWeek report on June 5, 2008 states,
Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) wants to be your low-cost destination for not just food, clothing, and housewares, but also drugs and health care. In the past few months, Wal-Mart has announced it is working with several companies to process and pay their prescription claims. The company is aiming to increase electronic prescriptions at its stores by 400%, to 8 million by yearend. It is introducing walk-in clinics at its superstores to treat minor ailments and is expanding its $4 generic-drugs program. "What our company does best is exactly what the U.S. health-care system needs the most. It needs more affordability. It needs more accessibility. It needs to be more efficient," said H. Lee Scott, chief executive officer of Wal-Mart, in a speech earlier this year.
Wal-Mart pharmacy cashier Carla Hawthorne sorts filled prescription drug orders at a store in Clearwater, Fla.
Robert Sullivan/AFP/Getty Images