Coming Soon: A Race to the Bottom
Can something ever be too cheap? Increasingly many observers of the generic drugs complex are saying "yes." Tracing the historic factors that sparked the race to the bottom, the article examines the incentives that keep the race going–and what is holding the regulators from revising the rules.
When we pick up our medications at the pharmacy, most of us do not pay mind to where they were made. If we notice that the pill bottle appears slightly different since the last refill, the doctor will tell us not to worry. Channeling guidelines from the highest medical authorities, the healthcare professional safely assumes that the drug is essentially the same, regardless of its manufacturer.
This axiom of pharmaceutical bioequivalence has been a pillar of the medical system for decades, but mounting evidence calls for a reexamination. The Food and Drug Administration explains the essence of the principle:
Timeless reading in a fleeting world.
