CD's,
Yesterday, i had been to WalMart to buy some Vitamin tablets. I saw 2 different brands containing the same composition. The variation was in the price.
The Enfalac Vitamin was $16 and the Exact Vitamin was $5.80. Naturally i picked up the Exact Vitamin.
I did a Google search to find out the why the price was different and it told me that when a company discovers a drug and patents it, Then it will be the sole producer of the drug for 10-12 years after which others can copy the composition. The period of 10-12 years of sole production is to allow the company to regain the cost of R&D used to produce the drug.
But my question is : After other companies are allowed to produce and price the same drug why is there a significant price difference? Is there any benefits to the first patented drug over the other ,which is cheaply available in the market. For money reasons, i choose the cheaper Exact drug. How will the cheaper exact drug be equal to the costlier enfalac drug?

I belive that answers to this will benefit CD's , many of whom still shell out a pretty penny for drugs. It also says that if the doctor prescribes a particular drug, the pharmasist should not dispense (generally) a cheaper version of it and vice versa. Is this the reason why most walk-in doctors ask if we have a drug plan?
confusion, confusion, confusion.....
TK A

-----------------------------------------------------------------
I am a Gents and not a Ladies.

TK,
Other type of drugs are known as Generic drugs i.e. they have got the exact composition but not manufactured by the Original manufacturer who still hold the Trade Name for that drug. Like for Tynelol , Apotex a Toronto based company sells at almost half price of Tynelol ( which is a Brand). Absoulutely, there is no diffrence in chemical composition & effectiveness of drug. However, generic drugs can be made only after certain period of time ( 10-12 years). Like Ranbaxy is trying to enter North American market with some gereric drugs.
As far as I know, most Walk Inn doctors just curious to ask about your drug plan as they can prescribe some costlier drug ( if you have a drug plan), otherwise they will prescibe some alternate which is cheaper. This is a diffrent issue then Generic drugs. As even in same set of drugs, few are costlier then other.
Hope this clears some of your confusion.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Driller the thriller

Generic drugs are supposed to equal in effectiveness as the brand name drug. Different countries have different laws that govern manufacturing drugs.
Please see http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=46204

Sometimes doctors ask if you have drug plan, so that they can prescribe new drugs that might be expensive.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Give free food http://www.thehungersite.com ||