Save Money on Your Child’s Health Care: Ask About Generics

Parents can save money on their child’s health care without sacrificing quality by asking their child’s pediatrician or nurse practitioner if a generic medication is available and right for their child.

Generic drugs are just as safe and effective as their brand name counterparts, but they are less expensive. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will not approve a generic unless it is as safe and effective as the brand.

When a drug company’s patent on a brand drug expires, other companies are allowed to make copies of the brand, known as “generics.” This competition helps to lower the price of the generic.

Brand name drugs can cost about $100 more a month than the generic. If you have health insurance, your drug co-pay will likely be about $5-$10 a month for a generic and about $40-$50 a month for a brand (but the co-pay depends on your health benefit).

Switching from a brand drug to a generic for your child could save you as much as $400 a year. There are several types of drugs that are commonly prescribed for kids that have several generics available, including allergy drugs, antidepressants and antibiotics.

For more information, click here to go to the Excellus BlueCross BlueShield Web site and read reports about generic drugs (scroll down to “Prescription and Nonprescription Drugs”).

Or click here to read more information from the FDA on generic drugs.

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