Consumers, she said, should talk to their doctors about the possibility of using generic medications. Generics are often directly substituted for a branded drug, or can be used in place of a brand-name drug that doesn't have a generic counterpart but is in the same class of medications. As an example, people taking Lipitor often opt for the les-expensive simvastatin, the generic form of Zocor.
Both Lipitor and Zocor lower cholesterol. The advantage to using these stores, experts say, is that insurance companies don't have to get involved. Despite the trends, he said he hopes generic drugs remain a strong market presence because of his own medical needs. For people who have insurance, costs vary by company. The price of the very popular antidepressant Prozac, for example, depends on the insurer. Zhang said cholesterol-lowering statins and drugs like Fosamax , used to treat osteoporosis, have some of the biggest price differentials between brand names and generics.
Share using email. Image by R. Blechman Many blockbuster drugs are expected to lose patent protection over the next 12 months. Can statins treat all high cholesterol? Read Medications you should use with caution. Read Costs of brand-name drugs soar. Read Don't miss out on drug savings.
Read Pfizer annual report PDF. Read Brand-name drug prices soar. Read Are your meds making you fat? Read Prescription drug side effects. People in Medicare drug plans The Medicare prescription drug program works very differently from employer plans. Read Inspector general report on drug rebates PDF.
Read Dangers of common painkillers. People without insurance These are men and women who most stand to benefit from a generic version of Lipitor, for which they have been paying full price at the pharmacy. Setting a precedent? Leaving AARP. Got it! Please don't show me this again for 90 days. Cancel Continue. Thank You. Your email address is now confirmed. Delivered daily to your inbox by Dan Primack and Kia Kokalitcheva.
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However, any switch is unlikely to be immediate, with Zocor taking six years to fall to its current price. As with the rest of Europe, the UK is facing increasing cost-saving measures in its healthcare system, and it is likely general practitioners will be encouraged to take advantage of the drastic drop in price when it occurs. Pfizer has been campaigning in the UK to keep doctors prescribing Lipitor instead of the cheaper simvastatin ahead of its patent expiry.
Its included this video , launched in January, , which argues doctors should keep their patients on Lipitor instead of switching to simvastatin, saying Lipitor's benefits were greater and the drug would soon be available at a reduced cost in any case.
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