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Author: Admin | 2025-04-28
Authorized generic may be marketed by the brand name drug company, or another company with the brand company’s permission.”Saving Money, Maintaining Quality with Authorized Generic Drugs:People go to outlet malls because they can often save anywhere from 25 to 65 percent (Consumer Reports, Dec. 9, 2018). The average discount, according to CR, is 38 percent. The appeal is brand name quality at a lower price. One reader pointed out, though, that some stores at outlet malls may not be selling high-quality merchandise. He said:“I’m told that the merchandize available in such sources is NOT always the same as in the manufacturer’s own, branded, main-line stores with their brand name on them. Maybe even made in the same — mostly overseas — factories, but with lower quality materials , fewer stitches in the seams, and such cost-cutters.”Here is what the Consumer Reports article found, however:“The good news is that we found very few seconds, irregulars, or returned items when we shopped at outlet malls recently.”Most people don’t realize that they can get a similar value for their prescription medicines if they seek authorized generic drugs (AGs). This option is rarely mentioned by pharmacists, physicians or insurance companies, but it can represent huge savings for brand-name quality.Methylphenidate (Concerta): One reader shared this story about the authorized generic for Concerta:“Thank you for writing about authorized generic drugs. I know this topic too well, as both my teenage son and I have ADD/ADHD respectively.“I have spent months battling with pharmacies to get authorized generic methylphenidate for each of us. The new Patriot brand that uses the OROS delivery system is a true authorized generic, but it is difficult to find.”The Concerta brand of methylphenidate comes from Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of the Johnson & Johnson drug company. This special erxtended-release formulation utilizes OROS technology (osmotic-controlled release oral delivery system). The goal of such formulations is to provide a gradual and sustained blood level of the active medication.According to GoodRx, the price of brand name Concerta averages around $500 a month. The authorized generic (AG) from Patriot Pharmaceuticals is identical to the brand name and should be far more affordable. Getting your pharmacy to stock the Patriot AG of methylphenidate may take some arm-wrestling, though.Atorvastatin AG:The savings can be substantial. For example, The Costco Member Prescription Program sells brand name Lipitor (atorvastatin). The cost for 90 pills (20 mg) is $1,600. Other pharmacies charge over $1,800 for the same number of tablets. The brand name manufacturer, Pfizer, has an AG agreement with Greenstone/Viatris. When we checked awhile back the identical 90 atorvastatin pills cost under $30.. That is a dramatic discount for the same exact brand name medicine.How does that compare to other generic atorvastatin? GoodRx lists atorvastatin from the generic drug manufacturers for 90 pills anywhere from $13 to $41. That is with the GoodRx coupon. The difference is that the authorized generic atorvastatin is identical to brand name Lipitor.Why Care About Authorized Generic Drugs?Why should anyone care about seeking out authorized generic medications?
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