Name brands vs generic brands

Energystrom

Quote by Office_Shredder

I suggest AA. They can really help with problems like this

Haha, well said!

chrisjensen

Generic brands doesn't care about branding, meaning they usually only care about money instead of quality of their product. That's why named brand usually come with quality.

found this article about say no to generic brands

*DaveC426913*

Quote by chrisjensen

Generic brands doesn't care about branding, meaning they usually only care about money instead of quality of their product. That's why named brand usually come with quality.

Sorry, this is just not true. At least, not always, as your claim implies. As mentioned in the OP, some generic brands are the every same product as the name brands, just without the label.

Quote by chrisjensen

found this article about say no to generic brands

The writing in that article is absolutely dreadful. It reads like someone who got Cs in HS English, and bailed as soon as it was no longer a mandatory subject.

Not that this means he doesn't know his stuff, but it does suggest he is not associated with any organization that cares about (or can afford to staff) a proper copy editor when publishing his papers. How did he get through business school?

Chronos

Name brand products are usually produced by, or under license, from the organization that spent all the money to qualify the product for public use. They charge more to recover the investment in this process. Generics take advantage of the limited protections offered by the patent process, but, 20+ years should be enough time to recover investment costs. But, it is certainly true not all generics are of equal quality. It's a hit or miss proposition. The playing field is more level with pharmaceuticals. Each product must be proven chemically equivalent to whatever name brand product they are cloning.

FlexGunship

Hmm, so this was an ultra-necropost. That being said...

My grandmother swears by specific non-brand name generic drugs. For example, she is under the impression that Walgreen's acetaminophen is better than actual Tylenol and other generics. The same is true of ibuprofen, except that she prefers Equate (Wal*Mart). In fact, she has said that she wished they sold Equate ibuprofen at other stores because she doesn't like shopping at Wal*Mart.

I love my Grandma. My crazy crazy Grandma.

turbo

I have had a lot of problems recently with arthritis. A while back, my wife picked up some Aleve for me. Yesterday, she picked up some generic naproxen (over twice as many pills at less than half the price of that bottle of Aleve). I'm pretty sure the generic stuff will work just fine.

FlexGunship

Quote by turbo

I have had a lot of problems recently with arthritis. A while back, my wife picked up some Aleve for me. Yesterday, she picked up some generic naproxen (over twice as many pills at less than half the price of that bottle of Aleve). I'm pretty sure the generic stuff will work just fine.

Naproxen sodium is my drug of choice for sure. I've got a veritable bucket of the stuff in my cabinet at home.

Drakkith

My personal stance is that GENERALLY you get what you pay for. It is fairly rare that I don't get my money's worth.

Evo

I actually like some generics better than the name brands. I like many store brands in groceries. I even found out that the 'always save' brand of mayonaise is almost identical to Hellman's, I never would have believed it.

We don't have Cains here turbo.

Ryan_m_b

I find that generics are definitely better for non-prescription medicines. It's the same stuff but the prices generally work out as BigNameBrand: £3.99, Superstore's own brand: 10p

Greg Bernhardt

One difference I find is that generic cleaning products are rarely better. The generic cleaning wipes leave a smear on my counter and feel much cheaper.

ViewsofMars

Quote by chrisjensen

Generic brands doesn't care about branding, meaning they usually only care about money instead of quality of their product. That's why named brand usually come with quality.

found this article about say no to generic brands

I'd like to read the article that implies 'say no to generic brands' if it refers to drugs and you live in the United States.

The United States Department of Health and Human Services - Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states the following:

FACTS ABOUT GENERIC DRUGS

WHAT ARE GENERIC DRUGS?
A generic drug is the same as a brand-name drug in: dosage, safety, strength, quality, the way it works, the way it is taken, and the way it should be used.

ARE GENERIC DRUGS AS SAFE AS BRAND-NAME DRUGS?
Yes. The FDA says that all drugs must work well and be safe. Generic drugs use the same active ingredients as brand-name drugs and work the same way. So they have the same risks and benefits as the brand-name drugs.

ARE GENERIC DRUGS AS STRONG AS BRAND-NAME DRUGS?
Yes. FDA requires generic drugs must be as: high quality, strong, pure, and stable as brand-name drugs.

ARE BRAND-NAME DRUGS MADE IN BETTER FACTORIES THAN GENERIC DRUGS?
No. All factories must meet the same high standards. If the factories do not meet certain standards, the FDA won’t allow them to make drugs.

IF BRAND-NAME DRUGS AND GENERIC DRUGS HAVE THE SAME ACTIVE INGREDIENTS, WHY DO THEY LOOK DIFFERENT?
In the United States, trademark laws do not allow generic drugs to look exactly like the brand-name drug. However, the generic drug must have the same active ingredients. Colors, flavors, and certain other parts may be different. But these things don’t affect the way the drug works and they are looked at by FDA.

DOES EVERY BRAND-NAME DRUG HAVE A GENERIC DRUG?
No. When new drugs are first made they have drug patents. Most drug patents are protected for 17 years. The patent protects the company that made the drug first. The patent doesn’t allow anyone else to make and sell the drug. When the patent expires, other drug companies can start selling the generic version of the drug. But, first, they must test the drug and the FDA must approve it.

DO GENERIC DRUGS TAKE LONGER TO WORK IN THE BODY?
No. Generic drugs work in the same way and in the same amount of time as brand-name drugs.

WHY ARE GENERIC DRUGS LESS EXPENSIVE?
Creating a drug costs lots of money. Since generic drug makers do not develop a drug from scratch, the costs to bring the drug to market are less. But they must show that their product performs in the same way as the brand-name drug. All generic drugs are approved by FDA.

Please read on . . .
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/R.../UCM173825.pdf

People who live in the United States should also be aware of drug recalls. The Human Drug 2011 RECALLS can be reviewed here: http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/...ls/default.htm

DaleSpam

I always try the generic and store brands at least once. If we like it then we save a lot of money and if we don't then we know we are paying for a real difference. Most of the time the generics are just as good as the brand, except for Heinz and Cottonelle.

EDIT: there must be some rule against using Heinz and Cottonelle in the same sentence.

turbo

My wife and I are pretty stuck on some brands. We buy Scott toilet tissue because it is a great deal in multi-packs of 1000-sheet rolls and because we have a septic system, not a city sewer. The "soft" tissues are generally held together with chemical sizing instead of starches, and are not good for septic systems. They don't break down readily. As Evo mentioned, Cain's real mayonnaise is our favorite. We also like Cabot butter and cheeses and Applegate Farms hot dogs. My wife bakes breads every week, and only buys King Arthur unbleached flour because the quality is so consistent.

I make all our pickles, salsas, and chili relish from our garden's produce, and we freeze fresh corn, beans, peas, green peppers, etc in season, so we don't need to brand-shop. If we're running short, my wife will usually buy Green Giant frozen vegetables instead of buying the store-brands. We have had some disappointments in that department in the past.

*DaveC426913*

Quote by turbo

My wife and I are pretty stuck on some brands. We buy Scott toilet tissue because

There are some things that I absolutely insist on paying full price for. Toilet paper is at the top of that list. (And, as it were, at the bottom, too :

)

FlexGunship

Quote by DaveC426913

There are some things that I absolutely insist on paying full price for. Toilet paper is at the top of that list. (And, as it were, at the bottom, too :

)

I have to agree. I will be drinking tap water and eating Ramen before I cut the toilet paper budget. That's just one of those things you don't mess with.

Drakkith

Quote by FlexGunship

I have to agree. I will be drinking tap water and eating Ramen before I cut the toilet paper budget. That's just one of those things you don't mess with.

I dunno. My roomate and I bought a 6 pack of "cheap" toilet paper once. Even though it was 1 ply it simply lasted FOREVER.

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chrisjensen	Generic brands doesn't care about branding, meaning they usually only care about money instead of quality of their product. That's why named brand usually come with quality. found this article about say no to generic brands

turbo Recognitions: Gold Member	I have had a lot of problems recently with arthritis. A while back, my wife picked up some Aleve for me. Yesterday, she picked up some generic naproxen (over twice as many pills at less than half the price of that bottle of Aleve). I'm pretty sure the generic stuff will work just fine.

Drakkith Recognitions: Gold Member	My personal stance is that GENERALLY you get what you pay for. It is fairly rare that I don't get my money's worth.

Evo Mentor Blog Entries: 4	I actually like some generics better than the name brands. I like many store brands in groceries. I even found out that the 'always save' brand of mayonaise is almost identical to Hellman's, I never would have believed it. We don't have Cains here turbo.

Ryan_m_b Mentor Blog Entries: 1	I find that generics are definitely better for non-prescription medicines. It's the same stuff but the prices generally work out as BigNameBrand: £3.99, Superstore's own brand: 10p

Greg Bernhardt Admin Blog Entries: 5	One difference I find is that generic cleaning products are rarely better. The generic cleaning wipes leave a smear on my counter and feel much cheaper.

DaleSpam Mentor	I always try the generic and store brands at least once. If we like it then we save a lot of money and if we don't then we know we are paying for a real difference. Most of the time the generics are just as good as the brand, except for Heinz and Cottonelle. EDIT: there must be some rule against using Heinz and Cottonelle in the same sentence.