Did you know that generic drugs represent a safe, effective, and affordable method to decrease overall healthcare costs? In fact, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states consumers who are able to replace all their brand-name drugs with generics can save up to 52% on their daily drug costs. Generic drugs represent a safe, effective, and affordable method to decrease overall healthcare costs.
This is why Optima Health has launched the Choose Generics campaign, aimed at helping empower our members and prescribers to make informed decisions about cost-effective drug therapies available.
- Physicians will be asked to authorize generics when they write prescriptions.
- If doctors don’t specifically write ‘dispense as written’ on prescription forms, pharmacists and members are free to substitute less expensive generics.
- Optima Health members will be urged to ask their doctors for generic equivalents or for similar, less expensive generic alternatives that offer the same therapeutic effect.
- Consumers will be urged not to accept drug samples from their doctors. Samples are the newest, most expensive drugs with the longest patent life. Using new drugs for disease management will greatly increase your prescription costs. Choose Generics!
- Members can save even more money by asking their doctors about over-the-counter antihistamines such as Claritin OTC or Proton Pump Inhibitors such as Prilosec OTC, instead of more expensive branded prescriptions.
Concerned about the quality of generic drugs compared to their brand-name counterpart? You may not be aware, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires generic drugs to have the same quality, strength, purity and stability as brand-name drugs. In fact, both brand-name and generic drug manufacturing facilities must meet the same FDA standards. As you can see, by choosing a generic you are receiving the same drug therapy you would if you chose a brand, only at a fraction of the cost.
Would you like to learn more about the Choose Generics Program? Read more.
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