Is it cheaper to buy drugs by their generic name?
I have heard that it is cheaper to buy drugs by their generic name. What does this mean?
answer:
The generic name of drugs, like the generic name of anything else, is the common name given to all drugs of one kind. For example, aspirin is the generic name of one of the most commonly used nonprescription pain killers in the world. You can go into any drugstore and probably find aspirin at prices ranging from 29 to 89 cents for the same size of container. Similarly, prednisone, a drug now widely used in treating arthritis, costs six times more if bought by brand name rather than its generic name. Almost as startling is the fact that the often-prescribed antibiotic tetracycline costs one-half less under the generic name. Many tranquilizers run from one-fourth to one-third cheaper if you avoid buying them by their brand names.