According to The Los Angeles Times more than $100 billion in annual brand-name drug sales will be at risk for generic competition from 2011 to 2015. That’s about one-third of the annual spending on all prescription drugs in the U.S., according to IMS data.
Pharmacies and health insurance plans are expected to step up marketing and education to get consumers to use generics.
As for consumers’ concerns about the effectiveness of generic drugs, doctors say the cheaper versions have the same active ingredients as their brand-name counterparts. Also, the Food and Drug Administration requires that these cheaper copies be as safe and effective as the patented versions.
Patients who are scheduled for plastic surgery are typically given prescriptions for use after surgery. Dr. O’Toole typically prescribes an antibiotic and narcotic pain reliever for most surgeries. These are both available as generics. Patients should review their prescription health insurance plan to be sure there are no exclusions for prescription drugs prescribed for plastic surgery, before using it to cover prescriptions. For breast augmentation behind the muscle and abdominoplasty Dr. O’Toole may prescribe a muscle relaxants to help with muscle spasms that could occur after surgery. Patients who may experience nausea after surgery may also want to consider generic drugs as compared to their name brand counterparts for relief. Most patients who have plastic surgery report a positive experience throughout recovery.
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