Wednesday, December 3, 2008
There is no evidence that brand-name drugs given to treat heart and other cardiovascular conditions work any better than their generic
The findings run counter to the perception by some doctors and patients that pricier brand-name drugs are clinically superior, said Dr. Aaron Kesselheim of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, who led the study.
Kesselheim and colleagues combined the results of 30 studies done since 1984 comparing nine sub-classes of cardiovascular drugs to generic counterparts.
The brand-name drugs did not offer any advantage for patients' clinical outcomes in those studies, they wrote in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
"Brand-name drugs for cardiovascular disease can be as much as a few dollars a pill, whereas generic drugs might be as little as a few cents a pill," Kesselheim said.
"If a patient is prescribed a generic drug because that's what's appropriate for their condition, then they should feel confident taking that drug. And physicians themselves should also feel confident prescribing generic drugs where appropriate," Kesselheim said in a telephone interview.
He said rising costs of brand-name prescription drugs strain the budgets of patients as well as public and private health insurers. Overall U.S. prescription drug sales hit $286.5 billion in 2007.
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How to Save on Your Prescription Drugs
Americans shell out more than $200 billion this year for prescription drugs. This statistic is up 50 percent since 2001, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey. These high costs are having a big effect on consumer’s choices. One survey found 40 percent of the patients said they have skipped taking some of their medications because they couldn’t afford them.
A few ways to save on prescription drugs:
Generic is The Way to Go: Whenever you can, opt for the generic drugs. Generics drugs are on average a 1/3 of the cost of their brand-name counterparts.
Research your Insurance Plan: Review your current prescription plan coverage and the list of drugs covered by your insurance. If you are taking drug X, see whether there is a comparable, cheaper drug available.
Order Prescription Drugs Through the Mail: Many health insurance plans will allow you to order your drugs via mail. Buying in advance can sometimes be cheaper (one or three month supply).
Choose Static Co-pays: Choose a health insurance prescription drug coverage that offers a set co-pay of $10 or $15. Avoid plans that base their coverage on percentages, as they are often considerably more expensive.
Many doctors have free samples, and while that won’t hold you over for long, they can certainly spread out the cost and the trips to the pharmacy.
