Evie may know more of the specifics than I do since she used to work in the industry.
The FDA does carefully monitor the manufacture, quality control process and clinical testing of prescription medications. They also have jurisdiction over some non-prescription drugs, but IIRC the rules are a bit different. The FDA has very limited jurisdiction over 'dietary supplements' as a result of a successful lobbying campaign on the part of supplement manufacturers.
When the FDA approves the distribution of a generic form of a prescription medication it does require a certain amount of testing to establish 'equivalence' between the generic and the original. The FDA also requires testing to confirm that the original drug (and also the generic drug) have more-or-less stable composition, bioavailability and so forth over time. So in theory each batch of medication should be interchangeable with any other batch and generic medications should be interchangeable with branded medications. It's a nice theory and it may even be correct but there has been a certain amount of controversy regarding generics for years.
There have been a few situations in which physicians or pharmacologists have noted unexpected events that may (or may not) be related to differences between generic and branded drugs. The FDA investigates these reports and thus far the official verdict is that there are no systematic differences between generics and brand name drugs. I'm speaking here only of generics that are expected to be identical to the brand name product (the "AB rated" generics).
Hi, All.
Most folks use the increasing %age of uninsured to demark the affordability crisis of health care in this country -- a crisis that is doubtless killing tens of thousands annually. But, surprise -- even many of the insured are going off life-saving prescription meds as insurance covers an ever smaller part of the cost, while drug company and insurance company profits soar. But hey -- we have a "free market," and that's all that matters, right?
For the gory details, see Study says many quit pills in 3-tier prescription plan.
The copays on our Rx drugs this year will be well over $2,000 -- when we started working in 1980, there were no copays. Is it any wonder the WHO ranked the U.S. health-care system 71st in the world in their last survey (and we've doubtless dropped a few slots since...)
-- Dave K.
Speakeasy Moderator
click here to email semods4@yahoo.com
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and do not necessarily reflect those of CNET!

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