Smithtown Doctor discusses generic vs. brand name drugs

The physicians at North Shore Eye Care are concerned with the use of generic drugs when treating certain eye conditions, such as glaucoma.  Glaucoma is a serious disease that can possibly lead to irreversible blindness.  When brand name drugs are used we know that these medications passed rigorous FDA standards.  For instance they go through preclinical testing often with animal studies to demonstrate safety and effectiveness.  Following this clinical studies are conducted for the same purpose.  Generic drugs do not have to meet these rigorous standards. While the concentration of the active ingredient may be the same as required be the FDA it may not actually be as effective for treating a specific condition. This is because the base that the active ingredients are dissolved in can be totally different.  These inactive ingredients such as preservatives, the pH of the solution, particle size of the active ingredient, buffers, etc. can all affect how well the active ingredients will work.  To make matters worse there can be many generics for one branded product.  So while one generic may actually work as well as its branded counterpart, the next time you refill the prescription it may not.

Another problem that we as physicians deal with are the side effects that can be associated with medications. By altering the formulation of  these medications serious problems can occur as with the case of a particular non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent (nsaid) that caused severe corneal damage to a number of patients.

 We realize that brand name products can be prohibitively expensive, especially when newly released, and that generic drugs may be the only alternative for some people, especially those without insurance.  However it is important that people realize that increased caution should be exercised when using a generic.  For those with medicare part D or managed care insurance the difference may not always be that great.