Here Are Some Prudent Buyer Rx Program Savings Tips

At HPP Rx, our goal is to provide our members with the useful information they need to be prudent purchasers of consumer products. As part of our Rx Savings program, we are pleased to share the following information to help members understand more about pharmacy products and to save money whenever possible.

Probably the most common area of misunderstanding concerns generic drugs. Contrary to common misconception, generic equivalents are not inferior to name brand medications, and are in fact an excellent way to achieve significant savings whenever they are available.

The following are some common pharmaceutical industry terms and general explanations.

Generic equivalent medications ("generics") — Pharmaceuticals that are sold by chemical name rather than brand name. Exactly like name brand medications, they are regulated by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, and by law they must contain the same active ingredients and must behave exactly the same and produce the same results as their name brand counterparts.

In fact, many pharmaceutical manufacturers quietly make and market generic versions of their most popular name brand medications. Both name brand medications and their generic equivalents have the same active chemical ingredients. These medications are less expensive because they are no longer covered by patent protection, allowing other manufacturers to create the same pharmaceutical without the added cost of national marketing and advertising often associated with name-brand medications.

Not all medications are available in a generic equivalent, since they are still under patent protection. A prudent purchaser should always use generic equivalents whenever possible. Simply inform your pharmacist that you wish all your purchases to be filled with generics whenever available. If you have any questions or concerns about generic equivalents, consult your physician or pharmacist.

Name brand medications — Pharmaceuticals that are marketed by a specific "name brand" which is trademarked, and owned by a specific manufacturer. They contain specific active ingredients at varying strengths, usually mixed with other inactive ingredients which serve as a "binder" or suspension agent to make the medication easier to handle. Since name brand drugs are usually recent releases, the retail price of name brand medications includes manufacturer's costs for national advertising and marketing, in addition to the usual shipping, warehousing and handling.

If you have any questions, please contact Member Services at (727) 526-0317 from 9:00AM - 5:00PM EST