In this day and age there is widespread usage of generic drugs. Unless your physician specifically orders a name brand medication, your pharmacist may fill your prescription with the generically made counterpart. As the patient, it should be your decision if that is what you want to use.
Generically made medications are available these days thanks to free enterprise and American ingenuity. Brand name companies used to control the market in days gone past, but now other manufacturers have come forth giving the American public choices. This is as it should be in America.
Unless you have an allergy reaction when taking these generic drugs, they are a good item to buy and use. The pharmacist is more likely to carry them, whereas he may have to order some other medications. This could cause it to take more time for you to receive your prescription; especially if it is the first time you are ordering it from this pharmacy.
The main reason many people use this type of medication is to save money. A non brand name item is usually less expensive than a brand name item would be. You can see that in any grocery store, and the pharmacy is no different. If you are taking this medicine over a period of time, this could add up to a tremendous amount of savings in your pocket. This can be critical if you are on a fixed income.
There are occasions where generics are not as strong as their branded counterparts, although this tends to be the exception rather than the rule. Your pharmacist should be able to tell you if there is any difference in the strengths between the two. He can also give you other information, such as if there are side effects that are different than those of the brand name.
Ask your doctor about the strength of this particular medication. Tell him you want to purchase the generically made one and ask if he has any objections to the substitution. Most physicians will order the generics unless there is a medical reason not to. Since you are the one footing the bill, make sure the reasons are medical, not just because they do not want to change their ways.
All of these facts will also hold to over the counter drugs you may purchase for your home. To help your budget stretch, look at the store brands of over the counter items. You are normally going to find they are less than the brand names on the shelves.
So to conclude, the usage of generic drugs is a common practice by most people these days. Using wisdom and asking the proper questions of the pharmacy and the physician involved will help you to make an informed decision. Deciding to purchase the non brand name generic drugs will also help save money so your budget will stretch further.