Prescription Drugs

JUMP TO: MANAGING YOUR PRESCRIPTIONS | BRAND NAME VS. GENERIC

Managing Your Prescriptions

If you’ve got more than one prescription and medical supplies to fill on a regular basis, keeping track of it all can be a chore. And as you develop needs for additional medications as you age, it can be difficult to maintain proper dispensing.  Organization becomes extremely important to prevent errors in dosing.

Here are a few tips to get yourself organized:

• Use one pharmacy to fill your prescriptions. And if you’re savvy with online refills, a list of your medications will be available at your participating pharmacy’s website, along with the dates of your last refill. In addition, your pharmacist can track your medications for possible drug interactions.
• To prevent from skipping doses, schedule a time during the day surrounding a daily activity, such as a meal or brushing your teeth or bedtime. Developing a routine will aid you in making sure you’re taking your medicines at the appropriate times on a regular basis.
• Use a chart, calendar or digital reminder to cue you to take your meds. Set your watch, cell phone, iPad or other visual/audio device to the time you need to take your prescription medicines.
• A pill organizer can keep you on track everyday of the week. Prefill your pill organizer with the medicines you need and be sure to carry it with you when you travel.

Brand Name vs. Generic

The pharmaceutical marketplace is overloaded with drug options for consumers. You’ve probably seen the ads on television or heard them on the radio:  New, better, faster medications to heal what ails you. But when you get a prescription from your doctor, how do you decide whether to go with the flashy brand name drug or the generic version?

For many people, it comes down to price. Generic drugs are generally far less expensive than their brand name equivalents. Why the difference? Mostly development and marketing.

You see, brand name drugs cost more because pharmaceutical companies have to spend so much developing the medication, testing it and then building a marketing campaign around it. That’s a lot of money they have to spend before the drug even hits the pharmacy shelves.

Once the patent on the drug expires, other manufacturers can receive permission from the FDA to produce and distribute generic versions. Because they don’t have to spend money on development, testing and marketing, they can sell the generic versions at a reduced cost. Because there are more companies producing the same drug, competition helps to keep the prices lower.

The FDA requires the generic drugs to be manufactured at the same high standards as the brand names. In fact, many of the manufacturers produce both versions of the same drug! This means that generics are produced with the same quality components and that they work just as fast and effectively as their brand name counterparts.

When it comes right down to it, you can receive the same results from a generic drug as you would from a brand name. If you’re interested in saving money, generic is the way to go. Before you make your decision, be sure to speak with your physician.

Return to Top