As the costs of prescription drugs continue to rise, an increasing number of people suffering from hypertension are trying generic blood pressure medications in an attempt to economize. Generic medications are less expensive but are believed to produce the same results as brand name drugs. Since the drug’s patent has expired, other manufacturers are free to produce and distribute the medication in generic form, thereby making the drug less expensive.

Patients and some doctors worry that generic blood pressure medications may not provide the same clinical benefits as brand name blood pressure medications. Most of us believe that items that cost less may not be as good as those that cost more.

Generic blood pressure medications are believed to be “bioequivalent” to their brand name counterparts, which means that both medications produce the same chemical actions. A generic medication can contain different inactive fillers than those found in the brand name drug, and the pill may have a different appearance. This can be confusing for people who expect the generic medication to look similar to the brand name medication they are used to taking.
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