When we are prescribed steroids, we sometimes choose to use the generic brand because it is cheaper. Why spend tons of money on the brand name if you can get the same cream for a lower price?
Well, we may need to rethink our bargain.
A study done in 1991 showed that not all off-brand topical steroid products hold up to their supposed counterpart.
From the abstract: “Six generic formulations of 5 topical steroids were compared for bioequivalence with their trade name counterparts using an in vivo vasoconstriction assay. Two of the six generic forms were found to show significantly less vasoconstriction then the respective trade-name topical steroids.”
Without even meaning to, you could be using a topical steroid that is less potent than the prescribed objective. I have not been able to find evidence that this has been rectified since the 1990’s. This is extremely troubling, something that needs attention if it is still an ongoing occurrence.
What is more discouraging is the fact that this relates to ALL generic drugs, not just to topical steroids.
In 2011, a Supreme court decision was made: If there is a side effect seen in a brand name drug, the company must place it on the label. However, the generic company is not under such law and does not have to share those findings on the label.
As explained by Dr. Roger Steinert in his article, Generic vs Brand-Name Drugs: An Ongoing Debate, he describes the fatal flaw of how generic drugs work. The FDA says that the generic brand must 1) use the same concentration of active ingredient as the brand name and 2) same route of administration as the brand name. However, they are not reviewed and are not as monitored as their brand name “counterpart”. This leaves an immense room for error.
So, next time you pick up that generic brand, remember what you are paying for. What a backwards world we live in…
Study From: A Double-Blind controlled comparison of generic and trade-name topical steroids using the vasoconstriction assay. Arch Dermatol. 1991;127(2):197-201. Olsen EA.
Preventable: Protecting Our Largest Organ 