Are generic drugs as good as their name-brand counterparts? On Skeptical Sunday, Dave Farina compares their development, prices, and efficacy.
Welcome to Skeptical Sunday, a special edition of The Jordan Harbinger Show where Jordan and a guest break down a topic that you may have never thought about, open things up, and debunk common misconceptions. This time around, we’re joined by Is This Wi-Fi Organic?: A Guide to Spotting Misleading Science Online author and host of the Professor Dave Debates podcast, Dave Farina!
On This Week’s Skeptical Sunday:
- Generic drugs contain the same active ingredients as brand-name drugs, but are typically much cheaper due to not having to absorb research and development costs.
- Drug patents typically last around 20 years, giving companies a period of market exclusivity to recoup their investment before generics can be produced.
- While the active ingredients are identical, there can be minor differences in inactive ingredients (excipients) between brand-name and generic drugs that may slightly affect bioavailability.
- Regulatory bodies like the FDA play a crucial role in ensuring drug safety and efficacy, though rare oversights can still occur.
- Consumers can make informed decisions about medications by understanding the similarities between brand-name and generic drugs, consulting with healthcare providers, and staying aware of drug safety information from reliable sources. This knowledge empowers individuals to potentially save money on prescriptions while still receiving effective treatment.
- Connect with Jordan on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. If you have something you’d like us to tackle here on Skeptical Sunday, drop Jordan a line at jordan@jordanharbinger.com and let him know!
- Connect with Dave Farina on YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram, and check out the Professor Dave Debates podcast here or wherever you enjoy listening to fine podcasts. Dave’s book, Is This Wi-Fi Organic?: A Guide to Spotting Misleading Science Online is out now!
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Miss our conversation with FBI hostage negotiator Chris Voss? Catch up with episode 165: Chris Voss | Negotiate as If Your Life Depended on It here!
Resources from This Episode:
- What Is a Drug? | FuseSchool
- Generic vs. Brand Drugs: Your FAQs Answered | Drugs.com
- Drug Expiry Debate: The Myth and the Reality | African Health Sciences
- Accelerating Equity in Science | International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry
- The United States Adopted Names (USAN) Council
- Empirin Side Effects | Drugs.com
- Ibuprofen | Drugs.com
- Acetaminophen | Drugs.com
- Drug Patents and Generic Pharmaceutical Drugs | News Medical Life Sciences
- Pharmaceutical Companies’ Average R&D Costs | Investopedia
- Enantiopure Drug | Wikipedia
- Racemic Mixture | Wikipedia
- Stereochemistry: Enantiomers | Professor Dave Explains
- Further Elaboration on Enantiomers by Redditor Slloyd14 | r/JordanHarbinger
- Jo Marchant | Placebos and the Science of Mind over Body | Jordan Harbinger
- Fill Me In: Common Drug Fillers and Binders | The Level
- Drug Bioavailability | Merck Manual Professional Edition
- Valsartan: Another Cancer-Causing Chemical Found in Widely Used Blood-Pressure Medication | CBS News
- Food and Drug Administration (FDA): What It Is and Does | Investopedia
- The Shadow of the Thalidomide Tragedy | The New York Times
- All 119 References in “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” Explained | Britannica
- How a Courageous Physician-Scientist Saved the u.s. From a Birth-Defects Catastrophe | UChicago Medicine
- A History Of ‘Snake Oil Salesmen’ | Code Switch
- Judge Upholds ‘Pharma Bro’ Martin Shkreli’s Ban from Pharmaceutical Industry | ABC News
- Opioid Lawsuits Generate Payouts, Controversy | ABA
- How the Tylenol Murders of 1982 Changed the Way We Consume Medication | PBS News
- Expiration Dates | Skeptical Sunday | Jordan Harbinger
- John Abramson | How Big Pharma Broke American Health Care | Jordan Harbinger
- The Dismantling of US Health and Safety Regulations Under the First Reagan Administration: A Bibliography | International Journal of Health Services