Getting sick nowadays means more than just feeling a little under the weather, it also means big bucks. If the illness doesn’t kill you the bills just might! But don't despair. You may be able to slash the future price of your medicine bills by as much as 50 percent with one simple question.

The next time your doctor writes out a prescription ask him if there is a generic equivalent of the drug he is about to prescribe. American doctors have been doing this for years, but the term 'generic' is still unfamiliar to many South Africans. Generic simply means that the medicine is a no name brand. It is the cheaper version of the same thing.

Works just as well for a quarter of the price

For example, a brand name medication for a lung infection can cost you R730, but the generic version costs you as little as R198. The generic equivalent works just as well and it is nearly a quarter of the price.

So why is generic medicine so much cheaper? Is it because it's inferior? Well a medicine is usually the invention of a large research company, and it gets patented to give the inventors enough time to make money and recover their costs.

That means for between seven and 20 years no one else is allowed to copy it. However, once the patent runs out anyone can create a copy using the same active ingredient. This is known as the generic equivalent and it brings the price of the medicine right down.

If you want to switch to a generic equivalent, ask your doctor or pharmacist if there is anything available for your condition. When you change to the cheaper medicine, take note of your symptoms. Make sure your doctor watches for any changes in your health. Although it may seem illogical, generic medicines do not always work for everyone.

Registered with the Medical Controls Council

Generics contain the same active ingredient as the original and are registered with the Medical Controls Council. So, no product that isn’t absolutely safe can be registered. Half of all medicines have generic equivalents and every month, as medical patents run out, more are created. Which means that there may not have been a generic equivalent for your condition a few years ago, but there may be one today.

If you do switch to generic medication and your health deteriorates, don’t think twice about it — go back to the original. But if the generic works you may have cured your medical expense headaches once and for all.

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