Get a health insurance quote – To reduce expenses, health insurance companies encourage consumers to opt for generic drugs whenever available. But certain prescription drugs may not work as well as their brand-name counterparts.

A fascinating article in the New York Times, Not All Drugs Are the Same After All, explores this topic in detail.

The People’s Pharmacy, a consumer advocacy site, began receiving complaints from patients who had switched from brand-name drugs to the generic versions. The patients complained of new side effects, and some found that their symptoms had returned or became worse than before they were medicated.

The pharmacy decided to dig deeper. It enlisted the help of an independent lab to test brand-name drugs against generics. The results found that the rate at which each drug was released into the body varied significantly. This is thought to be a possible cause of side effects and decreased effectiveness of the generic version.

For most medications, the absorption rate isn’t thought to be critically important. However, for life-saving drugs such as seizure medication, even a slightly different absorption rate could make a huge difference in the health of the patient.

Consumers may not even be aware of a change in their medication. A pharmacy may stock one generic drug for a period of a few months before switching to another generic at a better price. Pharmacists are not required to notify the patient of the change, but many pharmacists choose to do so.

When a brand-name drug’s patent expires, other manufacturers can create their own “generic” version of that product. To earn approval from the FDA, the generic version must have the same active ingredient, potency and dosage form as the original brand-name drug. But the absorption rate can vary slightly.

In the Times article, a patient suffering with mental illness found that her condition digressed after her insurance company encouraged her to switch from a brand-name drug to a generic. After replacing the generic with the brand-name drug, her condition stabilized.

If a health condition has worsened after switching to a generic drug, consider speaking with your doctor or pharmacist about switching back to a brand-name drug.