The pharmacist at CVS made me rethink generic vs brand name meds

I always bought brand name allergy pills because I figured generics were watered down. Last month my insurance stopped covering the brand and I complained to the pharmacist. She pulled up the FDA data right there and showed me generics have to match within like 4% of the active ingredient. Same dose, same effect, and they cost $18 less per month. I switched and honestly can't tell a difference. Now I wonder how many other medicines I've been overpaying for without any proof. Anyone else have a similar moment where a pharmacist changed your mind about something?

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sean85411d ago

My dad spent $40 a month on Advil for years until a Walgreens pharmacist told him the store brand was the exact same ibuprofen. The FDA rule she mentioned is real, generics have to prove they work the same, not just have the same chemical. The 4% thing is the tolerance for how much of the active ingredient gets into your blood, which is basically nothing. I switched my allergy meds too and the only difference is the pill color. People think big pharma is secretly skimping on generics but that would literally be illegal. It's wild how much we pay just for a brand name on the box.

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