Why do expensive medicines cost more than generics? Differences between expensive medicines and generics are advantages and disadvantages, popular generics. Buying generics: What to do so as not to overpay?

The choice between drugs often occurs due to an advantage of price. Let's find out what generics are and whether it is worth buying them.

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Medicines that are being implemented in pharmacies today are very expensive annually. This year alone, medicines increased by about 20%. Active rise in prices, of course, hits people's wallets. But people did not stop getting sick. It’s good that someone can purchase an expensive medicine.

However, what to do to those people who cannot afford to purchase such drugs? There is one single way. Buy cheap analogues of expensive medicines - generics.

Why do expensive medicines cost more than generics?

Modern pharmaceuticals annually produces a huge number of medicines. Each of them has its own composition, form of release, effect of exposure. But there are inexpensive analogues on sale that have practically no differences with expensive drugs. And not always an expensive imported medicine brings the best effect than domestic funds. But the financial difference is significant.

Anyone at least once in his life has encountered a situation when a pharmacist in a pharmacy begins to offer a huge number of drugs that are much more expensive for the missing drug. Why do almost similar medications have such differences?

In this case, you must understand that scientists have to spend huge funds, as well as a lot of time on the development and release of a new medicine. After that, these drugs undergo numerous examinations, they are used in various tests. Then pharmaceutical companies acquire a patent and only after such a long journey do the medicine begin to be implemented in pharmacies.

The price of a new drug is high, since the previously spent investments pay off. When the patent ends, the drug has the right to make any company. After that, the manufacturer begins the development of a better option. Means are invested again, time is spent. As a result of this, a medicine of the 2nd and 3rd generation arises in the pharmaceutical market.

The new drug that has just appeared in pharmacies is much more expensive. However, a few years later the price of the drug decreases. As a result, new medications begin to arrive for implementation.
Reducing the price does not mean that the drug has lost its own effectiveness. Just such a law of the field of pharmaceuticals. New drugs begin to gradually displace more obsolete medicines.
You probably noticed how many drugs suddenly disappear from the shelves of pharmacies. And it is surprising that those funds that were originally cost completely inexpensive. Why is this happening? All because these medicines have become unprofitable for firms.

Take, for example, the medicine of Calcex. This drug has been realized at a price of approximately 40 rubles for a long time. Time passed and the medicine unexpectedly disappeared in pharmacies. Now take a salicylic paste for example. It cost approximately 45 rubles. Over time, this drug also disappeared from sale. And there are a lot of similar drugs.

So is it possible to save money on the purchase of medicines? Are there any differences between expensive medicines and inexpensive analogues?

Differences between expensive medicines and inexpensive generics

Inexpensive analogues have an unusual name " generics". The price of such drugs is very different from the cost of originals. In the pharmaceutical market, some medications are constantly arising that are almost identical in composition and qualities, but they have other prices and names.

So why do expensive medicines and their generics are so different? What is the difference?

The degree of cleaning, the presence of side effects. The 2nd and 3rd generations have better cleaning. If we take the therapeutic effect, then they are almost identical. Only generics can have more side effects. For example, you are probably familiar with Tavegil or Suprastin medicines. These drugs can cause drowsiness, lower the level of working capacity. However, they are relatively inexpensive. Some doctors still prescribe them to patients. Erius and telfast medications have fewer side effects, but their price is not everyone affected.
The composition of the drugs. There are more components in the originals, they also have a greater spectrum of exposure. Take, for example, the teraflu. The drug lowers the temperature, it is taken during allergies. Ascorbic acid is present in the medicine. If you take a generic teraflu, then it only lowers the temperature.
Comfort in use. Dear drugs, when compared with generics, is more comfortable to drink. They work longer. In addition, they must not be accepted as often as substitutes.

Advantages and disadvantages of generics

The main advantage generikov - affordable price. In addition, inexpensive generics are almost not faked, since it is unprofitable for firms to do this from the financial side.

The therapeutic effect of generics does not differ from the effects of originals. Therefore, why pay more money for well -known drugs. Try to ask In pharmacies, generics. If you do not want to hope for the help of pharmacists, carefully study the instructions for a specific medical product.

Now consider those limitationswhich may have generics. They, of course, are not very significant, but they are still present. Active substance in each drug, whether it is original or analog, identical. Differences can only be in auxiliary components and in manufacturing technology.

Therefore, if you have no desire to pay large amounts before going to the pharmacy, first look on the Internet, with what means you can replace expensive medicines.

The most popular generics

You can replace almost any expensive drug inexpensive generic. Moreover, saving, you will not harm your own health.

Inexpensive antipyretic substitute. The most popular medication that can be taken to lower the temperature is paracetamol. The product is available in plates, in which there can be at least 10 tablets. The medicine is produced in other forms. For example, for children there is a paracetamol syrup. A similar drug is Panadol. However, it is much more expensive.
Inexpensive mucolytic. The main active component of almost every syrup and tablets that help get rid of coughing - Ambroxol. This component dilutes sputum, actively removes it from the respiratory system. The most affordable generic - Ambroxol. There are its expensive substitutes, for example, Lazolvan. Such a tool costs many times more.
Inexpensive drug against allergies. Affordable generics can cope with the disease as original medicines. Many funds can be attributed to inexpensive, for example, Loratadine.
Inexpensive sedative medicines. There are a huge number of drugs that are included in this category. There are expensive, for example, Persen, and more accessible in financial terms, for example, generic Valerian.

Why don't people trust expensive drugs and prefer generics?

There are a lot of reasons for this. We will consider the most common among them:

As statistics show, more than 10% of expensive drugs are faked. It is amazing that this can only be detected in laboratory conditions. And then it does not always manage to do this. For example, caffeine or other stimulants are added to some medicines for hypotension. Thanks to them, the patient will feel more active, cheerful.
The next problem that can concern expensive medicines is an advertisement imposed on people, an unexpected cure for the disease, and so on. This is especially true for antiviral drugs.
The general trend is built in such a way that more than 50% of the price of a drug is occupied by finances that are spent on promoting competing products. Often, invented competition may appear on the shelves. Means with various names can belong to a certain company that produces them. A large number of people study demand in order to set a similar cost when the product is expensive, but still affordable to consumers.

Expensive drugs are necessary so that they can earn insurance companies, as well as for the "development" of the money spent. People begin to rebel against the use of antibiotics, injections. They are trying to find alternative treatment using a variety of folk methods.
And the most important thing that was able to affect people's protest against the purchase of expensive drugs is a possible “conspiracy”. People claim that pharmacists do not specifically want to make effective drugs that help from certain diseases. All this is done so that consumers regularly buy the necessary means in order to maintain their own health.

At the moment, more than 80% of generics are present in the assortment of pharmacies. 1 \\ 5 part of these drugs are medications designed to improve digestion, normalization of metabolic processes. 15% is soothing medicines, and 12% are drugs for the heart. The remaining small part falls on painkillers and lowering the temperature of the drug.

Today, many generics are able to lower the temperature, relieve inflammation, pain, cope with viral diseases. But, if urgent hospitalization is necessary, then it is advisable to follow the recommendations of doctors to use a particular medicine.

And most importantly, what must be taken into account when choosing drugs - a variety of examinations, tests. If the dynamics occurs in a positive direction, then the medicine can cure. If this is not observed for 2 weeks, then it is worth conducting additional diagnostics, just revise the therapy program.

Buying generics: What to do so as not to overpay?

Not spending large amounts on drugs of the 1st necessity, of course, is possible. You just need to choose inexpensive genericand the pharmacy where you can buy it. Try to buy goods in those pharmacies where the most affordable prices.

In addition, if you have long -term treatment, then purchase medicines wholesale. Having purchased at the same time 2, 3 and more packages, you have a chance to save a decent amount.

But, if you decide to replenish the first -aid kit at home, then do not buy too expensive drugs. But if you are tormented by some kind of chronic disease, then do not experiment on your own health. Otherwise, you run the risk of encountering more serious problems related to money and shaken health.