There are some products that I will always buy name brand-Heinz ketchup, Colgate toothpaste, and the extra soft and silky Kleenex. And I am always sure to buy certified Apple accessory products because I have been convinced that anything else will corrupt my iPhone, and that is a risk I am not willing to take. These are all personal preferences, though.
Almost anything else, I will buy generic. I’ll but Target generic brand face cleaner instead of Neutrogena. I’ll buy CVS brand cough syrup instead of Nyquil. Generics get a bad reputation for no valid reason. Millions of people-myself included-have been buying generic brand items our whole lives, and we are still alive to tell the story.
Name brands are more popular simply because they have better marketing and advertising. You see Tylenol and Nyquil commercials every day, so you are more likely to trust that brand. But generic drugs contain the exact same ingredients and dosage, and usually for a fraction of the price.
That is the biggest pro to buying generic brands-they are cheaper! If a product is cheaper and does the exact same job as the brand name, then why even buy the brand name product? (Except for Heinz ketchup. Heinz is king.)
Generic brands are making breakthroughs, especially recently, when Mylan announced that they will offer generic epipens for half the cost of the name brand. The name brand epipens currently cost $600 for a two-pack, and Mylan is offering the same, but for $300. CVS and Walgreens have also been announcing plans to release their generic brand epipens for even less than Mylan’s price. These generic brand epipens are exactly the same as the name brand, but are cheaper and will therefore be more easily accessible to those who are in need of them.
So next time you are at CVS, or Walgreens, or Target, or any other store, remember that generic brands are just as good as name brands. Save yourself a couple of dollars and stop paying for the advertising of big name companies.
To read more about the plans for generic epipens, visit NPR.
Jill Augustine
Viewpoints Editor
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