PHOENIX — With flu cases rising overseas in countries like the United Kingdom and a new variant identified in Japan, experts warn that the United States could face an earlier flu season this year.
This has some consumers thinking carefully about how to protect themselves and how much they’re willing to spend on over-the-counter medications.
“Brand names work faster,” Shatrefa Wilson, a consumer in Phoenix, Arizona, said. “I’m willing to pay the extra cost for my health.”
Some are committed to brand-name medications, while others hope to save money using generic drugs.
“I have an intellectually disabled daughter, and we've gone to the generic prescription because it does save a lot of money. Hundreds a year,” Andrew Tighe of Phoenix said.
“I’m all about generic,” George Pasisis, a Scottsdale, Arizona, resident, said. “I believe the products come from the same place. You just put a label on it and sell it for more.”
Stephanie Schneck, the System Director for Pharmacy Quality, Safety, and Clinical Operations at HonorHealth in Phoenix, says generics are just as effective as brand-name products in most cases.
“In a lot of cases, the generic products will serve the same need as the brand name,” Schneck said.
She explains that generics are less expensive because they do not go through the same clinical trials that bring brand-name drugs to the market.
“The only thing they really have to do is compared to the brand name, have to show that the drug works the exact same way in the body, and so in these cases, generic products would be a really good way to save some costs,” Schneck said.
If you’re still deciding she recommends comparing the active ingredients. To know if there is a situation where you should spring for the brand name, check the inactive ingredients to see if there are any dyes or fillers that could provoke a sensitivity or allergic reaction.
Schneck also notes that many over-the-counter products combine several medications into one that could save you even more.
“So this has multiple ingredients in it, something that helps with cough, something that helps to kind of decongest your nose and your chest,” Schneck said. “Could I potentially save money by combining all of my medicines in one pill versus taking separate, different drugs?”
Consumers report major savings from choosing generics.
“I think upwards of 75% sometimes,” Pasisis said.
“It just makes you feel a little better when you have some money stashed in your account,” Tighe said.
For many, generics are a way to keep both their health — and their wallet — protected.
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