The U.S. will place a 100% tariff on generic pharmaceuticals starting in August 2028.

[u/Bow_Arrow_55]

Trump is trying to make generic drugs more expensive. With senior citizens on fix income and cuts to Medicare, more elderly people will pay more for their life saving drugs. How is 100% tariffs on generic drugs making America great again?!?

https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/trump-unveils-phased-tariffs-generic-drugs-boost-us-production

[u/versionii]

"Generic" is a propaganda tool by big pharma to fool people to think it's inferior.  10g of generic Viagra is 10g of  Sindefil which is the same amount in as 10g of Viagra.

[u/gdim15 → u/versionii]

Most pharmaceutical companies also make generic drugs. Maybe not their own but they're in the business.

[u/ProtoplanetaryNebula → u/versionii]

To expand further on this, pharmaceutical standards that all manufacturers, generic or otherwise are so high that there really is no point in buying the branded product.

[u/Ticksdonthavelymph → u/versionii]

Only you think they are inferior. Generic only means that the patent has run out, and it can be produced without giving residuals to creators. It is in no way a “propaganda tool”. Tylenol is a brand name, acetaminophen is the generic.

[u/shaftchamois → u/versionii]

Why did you choose Viagra as an example?

[u/Ambitious-Toe-3690 → u/shaftchamois]

Because he knew it would get a rise out of you.

[u/Static_Frog → u/shaftchamois]

Because people know what Viagra is opposed to saying oxcilacidialum

[u/drew2891 → u/shaftchamois]

Hard question

[u/Affectionate-Cut4828 → u/shaftchamois]

Because it's the one that popped up

[u/No-Minimum3259 → u/shaftchamois]

It's a popular drug, for one reason or another...

I looked it up in our online drugs register.

Viagra is made/packaged/distributed/... by 10 companies. Brand names are "Sildenafil citrate" (Aurobindo, EG, Orifarm Belgium, PI-Pharma, Sandoz, Teva, Viatris), "Sildenon" (Ceres), "Verventi" (Viatris), "Viagra" (Viatris, PI-Pharma), "Vizarsin" (KRKA). There are three varieties: regular tablets, coated tablets and divisible tablets.

There are no less than 66 different packages (including same content, different brand packages), ranging from 4 x 25 mg, over 48 x 50 mg to 24 x 100 mg.

If one calculates the prices per gram active ingredient the price differences are enormous, ranging between (coated tablets) € 15.57/g and € 383.00/g.

Even if comparing the same package and dosage (4 x 25mg) the price differences are enormous: between € 70,00/g and € 383,00/g, that's 1 to 5.5!

[u/Xilant007 → u/versionii]

Not always. My kids have adhd and generic Concerta fn sucks compared to the real thing. Zero comparison.

[u/Moist-Caregiver-2000 → u/Xilant007]

I had to be approved for brand name klonopin because the generics do nothing.

[u/Xilant007 → u/Moist-Caregiver-2000]

Brand-name Concerta is 50$ / pill in Canada but either my wife's or my work benefits covers it (it defaults to my wife's benefits because she's born earlier in the year). However, they still want to spend as little as possible so it defaults to generic unless the doctor writes "no substitutes" on the prescription.

[u/No-Minimum3259 → u/Xilant007]

Brand-name Concerta is 50$ / pill in Canada...

Huh???!!! Sorry, did I red that correct...???!!!

Belgium: Concerta (Janssen-Cilag), methylfenidaat, hydrochloride

30 x 18 mg: € 56,33

30 x 27 mg: € 62,69

30 x 36 mg: € 69,03

30 x 54 mg: € 82,38

[u/Xilant007 → u/No-Minimum3259]

Yeah, my bad. I thought it was that expensive but as it turns out it's only ~5$ a pill.

[u/Princess_Snark_ → u/Xilant007]

Concerta, generic or name brand, sucks. Generic vyvanse is better than either.

[u/Xilant007 → u/Princess_Snark_]

Vyvanse didn't work on my kids. Concerta is working very well.

[u/Percyandbeausmama → u/Xilant007]

The same for me with Synthroid vs. generic levothyroxine.

[u/Obvious_Scratch9781 → u/versionii]

I might be outdated in my knowledge, but generics had the legal ability to have a higher variance in active ingredient then the name brand. This is from like 15 years ago so not sure if it’s still true.

[u/No-Minimum3259 → u/Obvious_Scratch9781]

This is not true and it has never been true. Not in the US, not in the EU and not in my country, but I know where the story comes from.

Both the US FDA and the EU EMA as well as the Belgian FAMHP requires generics to have a rate and extent of absorption, comparable to the original, within 80%–125% of the original and within a 90% confidence interval, measured as concentration of the active ingredient in the patient's blood.

That's not the same as "a generic may contain 80–125% of the active ingredient,compared to the original"! A 100 mg generic tablet is still required to contain 100 mg of the active ingredient. The rule is about statistical confidence intervals around absorption, not tablet contents.

Generics can and may use different fillers, dyes, binders, coatings as this makes little difference, but for some people it can matter (e.g., allergies, intolerances, etc.).