Are generics equivalent to brand-name drugs?

• Position: Pharmacology - United States Food and Drug Administration ratings - Brief Article

As the clamor from consumers, legislators, and managed care organizations for lower drug prices escalates, consumers increasingly are turning to lower-cost generic versions of brand-name drugs whose patents have expired. To manage this demand, Pres. Bush has proposed new legislation to speed consumer access to generic drugs. Yet, are all generic drugs equivalent to brand-name counterparts? Probably, according to The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics.

It explains that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rates all generic drugs A or B. A-rated drugs are regarded as interchangeable with the brand-name original. B-rated ones, representing under three percent...