Many of us either have an aversion to off-brand products or loyalty to a specific brand. We tend to think that higher prices mean better quality. Doc Martens, Vans, or Converse are probably going to last longer than something you find at Wal-Mart for $20, right? And you might swear that brand name Cheerios or Frosted Flakes taste better than off-brand wheatios or sugar flakes. 

However, this notion can be completely abandoned when it comes to medicine. Strict laws require that generic medicine provide the exact same active ingredient and prove it is just as effective as the brand name counterpart. Usually, the doctor or pharmacist will already pick generics for you as they become available when dealing with your prescriptions.

But you can choose generics when you get your over-the-counter stuff as well. Every drug has a generic name. This is the name you see on the ingredient list on the label. It is kind of like the way some people refer to tissues as Kleenex. While Kleenex is a brand of tissues, some of us call all tissues "Kleenex." Similarly, Tylenol is just a brand for the medicine acetaminophen (paracetamol in many countries), but many other companies sell that same medicine under its generic name. 

There is no reason to buy brand name Tylenol when there is generic acetaminophen right next to it for a fraction of the cost. You can pass by the Advil and Motrin and grab that cheap bottle of ibuprofen and get the same results. 

Benadryl can be replaced by diphenhydramine, Unisom with doxylamine, and Allegra with fexofenadine. Some people may be picky and are willing to spend a couple extra bucks for a specific type of pill. They may find that a specific geltab that is sold by a brand is easier to swallow. Outside of such personal preferences, there is little reason to pick up brand name medicine if a generic is available. 

Sometimes, there is no generic, yet. Companies are granted a certain amount of time where only they can sell a specific medicine. So they create and market their brand, and they tend to charge a high price while they have a monopoly. We saw this recently with the pain relieving cream Voltaren. It was expensive when it was only available as the brand name. But when the generic versions became available, not only could you buy diclofenac for much cheaper, but the brand name dropped in price as well. 

Another reason people might buy a brand is because of combination medications that aren't available in a generic form. In another post, I mentioned that the company that makes Mucinex creates a bunch of products under the Mucinex umbrella. If you feel like Mucinex Cold and Flu works well for you, it might be hard to find a generic medicine with the exact same ingredients, though if they exist, they are often right next to the brand on the store's shelf. 

Often, I would suggest trying to stick with generic medicine and picking out medicine individually based on your symptoms instead of relying on combination drugs. It will save you money and help you avoid unwanted side effects. If you look at the ingredients on the medicine label, it gives a brief explanation of what each medication does. 

For example, night time cold medicines usually just add diphenhydramine (generic Benadryl) which can help cold symptoms and has a side effect of drowsiness. You can just buy your own bottle of diphenhydramine for cheap instead, and maybe take an acetaminophen tablet if you also have a headache or fever. 

So pinch your pennies on the medicine, because the generics work just as well, and then you can afford more brand name clothing, if that is your thing. Or you can put it in the bank or buy more crypto. 

*This is from the perspective of a pharmacist in the United States. I assume laws about generic medicine are similar in most countries, but I cannot guarantee that. 

Dr. Pasteur, PharmD