The Importance of Quality Brand Name and Generic Drugs, Vitamins and Supplements
Americans rely on quality name brand and generic drugs, vitamins, and supplements for good health and vitality. About 70 percent of people in the United States take prescription medication; generic versions make up more than 80 percent of drugs in the United States. More than half of all people in the U.S. take dietary supplements, including vitamins. Millions of people in the U.S. depend on the quality of these drugs to treat all sorts of conditions, from canker sores to cancer. Unfortunately, many consumers do not know about the importance of quality brand name and generic drugs, vitamins and supplements. Quality Ingredients Brand name and generic drugs, vitamins and supplements contain active ingredients that cause a specific, therapeutic effect. These medications also frequently contain filler ingredients that serve non-therapeutic effects. Filler might coat a pill or hold it together, for example. Some fillers change the speed at which the medication works. Others work to make the active ingredient easier for the body to absorb. Superior active ingredients and fillers are the hallmarks of quality for brand name and generic drugs, vitamins and supplements. Lesser manufacturers try to stretch a dollar by using unnecessary fillers that do not add to the therapeutic value of the medicine. Poor manufacturing practices increase the risk for contaminants, including pesticides, bacteria and heavy metals such as lead. The most reputable drug makers always use the best available ingredients and best manufacturing standards so that consumers get the medicine they need without the worry of unnecessary or harmful ingredients. Consistent Results The Food and Drug Administration requirements state that you get 80 to 125 percent of the active ingredient into your bloodstream from a generic drug as you would from a comparable name brand. The amount of an available active ingredient can vary widely between generic brands and between individual batches made by the same pharmaceutical company. This means a consumer could unwittingly absorb 50 percent more of an active ingredient – or 50 percent less – with every refill. Such a significant variance in dosages can cause
unexpected, ineffective, or even dangerous effects. Quality brand name and generic products provide consistent results for patients who rely on medications to manage serious medical conditions, such as cardiovascular, neurological, thyroid, and respiratory problems. Inconsistency in dosages becomes a serious issue when the consumer refills medications, especially when switching from generic to brand name products and back again. Quality name brands and generic versions provide dosage consistency so the consumer always gets the same amount of medicine upon refills. Clear Labeling The best name brand and generic drugs, vitamins and supplements put informative, easy to read, and accurate information on their labels. Some products use the word “standardized” to describe the manufacturing process that makes the products consistent, but there is no U.S. law to control these standards. The words “verified” and “certified” do not guarantee quality or consistency. Only quality pharmaceutical companies can assure reliability and excellence across refills. Premier drug makers invest heavily in scientific studies to determine the safety and efficacy of their products, and are always glad to share the results of these studies with doctors and patients. Consumers should be able to learn a great deal of accurate information from product labeling. Consumers can also find information about a medication or supplement’s identity, purity, strength, and composition on websites hosted by pharmaceutical distributors. To learn more visit: http://www.aplususapharma.com.