Affordable Medications Bring Good Health to More People

Generic medications approved by the FDA are proven to be the same as the brand name drugs and provide an important avenue for many Americans to better afford their medications.  This is an extremely important consideration, especially for the nearly 47 million Americans without health insurance.  And it’s particularly alarming that 11 million of these uninsured Americans also suffer from a chronic health condition, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, according to a study published in the August 4, 2008, Annals of Internal Medicine.

Many chronic health conditions can be treated very successfully with medications, avoiding further illness and costly hospitalizations.  However, when patients cannot afford these medications, they may suffer needlessly from dangerous and even deadly complications of their disease.

According to the Generic Pharmaceutical Association (GPhA), more than half of all prescriptions in 2007 were filled with generic medications, which can cost up to 80 percent less than their brand name counterparts.  The GPhA notes that in 2006, the average brand-name prescription product cost $111, while the average cost for a generic drug was $32.23.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist if there is generic product for medications that you are taking.  If there is not, and you are concerned about cost, ask if another drug can be used to treat your condition.  Together you can decide what therapy is best for you.