yes for many reasons. today almost half of all prescriptions in the united states are filled with generic drugs. they are less expensive and often require a lower co-pay if you have insurance which could mean big cost savings for you. generic drug manufacturers don’t have the initial investment costs associated with development of a new drug. original manufacturers are given a patent for their drug to protect their investment including research development and marketing costs. a generic drug is not available until that patent expires about 20 years after the patent is received. once a generic version is available competition helps keep costs down even more. what about effectiveness? for the most part they are just as good as brand-name drugs. generics have the same active ingredients; in fact the food and drug administration requires that generics be as strong as brand-name drugs and work just as quickly. they also carry the same risk of side effects. this means that even though the shape and size of a generic pill may differ from the brand-name pill you’re used to it should work the same in the body.
are generic versions of drugs really just as good (and safe) as their brand-name counterparts?