Brand Name VS. Generic Drugs

When it comes to medicines we've all seen the commercials about a new powerful drug. But is that drug any better than a cheaper generic?

For most medications, the answer is no! Drug companies spend a lot of money to get you to notice their new brand name medicine. But most of these medicines also have a generic twin that costs considerably less. And most drugs have "cousins" of a different class that are close but not exactly the same as the brand name drug.

But how well do these twins or cousin drugs work. It turns out, they work just as well, at least when it comes to controlling your blood pressure.
A long term study, following more than 33 thousand patients with high blood pressure found that after eight or more years of follow-ups, a simple generic diuretic blood pressure pill was as effective and in some cases even better at preventing death from stroke or heart failure, both problems related to high blood pressure.

The bottom line here is that the latest greatest brand name medicine you see advertised might not be the only one that would work for your condition, and it might not even be the best for you. Your best bet is to talk with your doctor about all your prescribed medicines and ask this simple question:" Is there a cheaper generic medicine I can take that would be as good or better than the one I'm on now"?