Brand vs. Generic

Please note: I am not a licensed pharmacist or doctor.  I am only sharing information that I have learned.  Do not take action regarding use of your medications unless you have first discussed your concerns with your personal care provider and/or pharmacist.


When a new prescription is brought to the [Ph]arm, often the Dr. prescribing has scribbled some brand name drug that he or she wants a patient to take.  If a generic is available for that specific drug guess what?!?! You, the consumer, get two choices:

1. Would you like the brand name? or, 

2. Are you fine with generic?

Sounds like an easy question to answer, but one would be surprised how many people appear to look flustered when they're answering one of these questions.  My goal with this post is to give the reader enough information to feel less uneasy and more knowledgeable when facing a decision between brand and generic medication.

Most of the time, brand name drugs are more expensive than generic.  One would think knowing that alone would deter someone from using brand name medication.  However, many people are still willing to pay for brand name medication.  Of course, people have many reasons for purchasing one or the other and that is fine and I am not saying one is better than the other.  What I am offering is a comparison.

Levoxyl and Synthroid are both popular brand name thyroid hormone replacement drugs.  Levothyroxine Sodium pills are the generic form.

By appearance, each pair of pills appear to be different.  Each has a different shape, styling, and colour. However, are they really different? Observe the chemical structures below:

Levoxyl

Synthroid 

Each pill shown has 88 mcg of the chemical shown in these chemical structure diagrams.  The Federal Drug and Administration (FDA) specifies "that each pill contain between 90% and 110% of the stated chemical content" (Thyroid, p. 2).  Manufacturers of brand and generic thyroid replacement drugs may use different fillers and dyes.  Additionally, absorption rates may differ between drugs meant to target the same ailment depending on manufacturers.

Is there a final verdict on brand versus generic? No, members of the health and medicine community debate on whether brand and generic products are the same.  Drug brands and their generics do have some differences, yet, both are created to help the same ailments by using similar absorption methods within the body.


If you end up having hypothyroidism or needing thyroid replacement medication, you probably will be prescribed Levoxyl or Synthroid. Since a generic is available and depending on your insurance coverage, you will have a choice of which you would like your pharmacy to dispense. In some cases, insurance will not cover very much of the cost of brand name drugs while a generic is available. 

At the [Ph]arm, some customers insist on brands while others do not.  Some customers change from one to another, because they've had some sort of reaction--maybe caused by dyes and fillers.  What ever the choice is, our pharmacist recommends that you do not change between different medications too much in order to maintain consistency.


-Louise-