There is a big issue when someone takes generic versus brand name drugs. Of course, the biggest difference is usually the price which sometimes can prohibit someone from taking a brand name medicine when it can be obtained at a fraction of the cost as a generic. However, due to a United States Supreme Court decision last year, as a rule generic pharmaceutical companies are given what I would call “immunity” when it comes to their labels. In other words, generic companies are essentially not liable for what the labels say, unlike brand name companies. So, if someone is taking a generic drug and then has major problems with it, often times the generic company may not be responsible. This is a bad situation, in my view, and it does not appear that there is a legislative solution anytime soon as the election will take precedence over such matters. Consequently, I encourage people to strongly study the labels, make sure that there are no side effects that you are concerned about, make sure that whatever you are taking does not conflict with other medicines you are on, make sure you talk to your pharmacist about the medicine, and if you notice anything not right about the drug, call your doctor urgently.
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