Information About Generic Drugs

You can help control your health care costs by encouraging your physician to prescribe generic drugs when they're available and appropriate.

• By asking your doctor and pharmacist for generics, when available, you may save money without compromising on quality.
• Generic equivalent medications contain the same active ingredients and are subject to the same rigid federal Food and Drug Administration standards of quality, strength and purity as their brand-name counterparts.
• Generic drugs generally cost 30 percent to 50 percent less than the equivalent brand-name product.
• Half of all prescription drugs have generic equivalents at this time, and more are on the way!
• Many of the available generic drugs are made by the same major drug companies that produce the branded drugs.

Yes. The U.S. Food and Federal Drug Administration (FDA) must approve all generic versions of a drug and assures that they meet strict standards of quality, strength and purity. The FDA requires that generic equivalent medications contain the same active ingredients as brand drugs.

The main difference between a brand drug and its generic equivalent is the cost of the product. While generics and brand-name equivalent drugs contain the same active ingredients, they may be a different color, shape and/or size or may contain different inactive ingredients. A generic drug must contain the same active ingredients and must be equivalent in strength and dosage to the original brand-name product.

About half of all brand-name prescription drugs have generic equivalents at this time, and others are introduced on a regular basis. Equivalent generic products for brand-name medications become available after a patent and other exclusivity rights for the brand expire. When pharmaceutical manufacturers invent and market new drugs, they get patent protection so for a period of time, only their brand of that drug is available. After patents and exclusivities expire, many other manufacturers can make that same medication available as a generic drug.

In recent years, patents have expired on several widely used brand-name drugs, including:

• Norvasc (amlodipine)
• Allegra (fexofenadine)
• Zithromax (azithromycin)
• Zofran (ondansetron)
• Ambien (zolpidem)
• Lamisil (terbinafine)
• Effexor (venlafaxine)

Generic equivalents for these brands are currently available and widely used. Patents and other exclusivities are due to expire in the next few years on other popular medications, including:

• Fosamax (alendronate)
• Coreg (carvedilol)
• Zyrtec (cetirizine)

See list below of common brand products for which generic equivalents are available.

• Several different manufacturers may develop generic equivalents. This competition results in the lower cost of generics in the marketplace.
  
  
• Brand-name drugs tend to be more expensive than generic drugs because the manufacturers of those brand-name drugs need to recover the original research and investment associated with developing that brand-name product.

• Ask your doctor if a generic drug is available and if it is appropriate for you. If your doctor feels that a generic drug is appropriate, ask him/her to indicate on the prescription that substitution is permitted.
  
  
• At the pharmacy, you can often make the choice between a brand-name drug and an available generic version, unless your doctor has written on the prescription that no substitution can be made.
  
  
• State laws that regulate the practice of medicine and pharmacy do vary regarding use of generics. In some states, if the doctor prescribes or authorizes a generic drug, the pharmacist must dispense the generic drug.
  
  
• Medco By Mail pharmacy and retail pharmacies may contact your physician to see if a generic can be used. This is done to help you and GEHA save money.

• Yes; often, both you and GEHA save money.
• Using generics is an important way to manage the cost of your prescription benefit and assure that it remains affordable for both you and GEHA.

Remember that generic equivalent drugs are safe, effective and affordable. They result in the lowest cost to you and GEHA. In order to take advantage of the lowest level of copayment, ask your doctor to prescribe generic equivalent drugs for you and request that your pharmacist use them.

If you have any questions about your benefit and copayments or your prescription, please call Member Services at (800) 551-7675. You may also visit the Medco website to get information about your prescriptions and health-related topics or submit messages to the online customer service representatives and pharmacists.

1. Is there a generic version of this medication available?
2. Can I substitute the brand with a generic?
3. Are there any special instructions I should know about before I take this drug?

1. Is there a generic version of my drug available?
2. Can I substitute the brand with a generic?
3. Does this generic look different than my brand-name medicine?