Generic birth control prescriptions can save you money. And, in some cases, they’re all that insurance will cover. But, is generic birth control as good as the brand-name version? What types of birth control come in generics? How can you get a generic prescription?

Patents and Exclusivity

When drug companies develop new medicines, they patent them so that no other company can claim to have invented the drug. They also apply for what’s called “exclusivity,” which means that no other company can sell the drug for a certain number of years. Companies can charge high prices for these medicines because no one else is allowed to make them. The companies say that the prices must be high to cover the research that went into making the drugs, although the cost of advertising is also a factor.

Patents last for 20 years. Exclusivity depends on the type of drug, but in most cases it’s a shorter period of time than the patent.

Generics vs. Brand-Name Drugs

FDA regulations state that generics must contain the same medicines as the brand-name versions. The medicine must be absorbed by the body at the same rate and in the same amount. Basically, generic drugs must work just like the brand-name ones. It’s just that the pills and packages look different. Sometimes, you’ll need a bit of technical knowledge to see that the medicines really are the same: the brand name one might list ingredients in micrograms, while the generic uses milligrams.

In spite of the FDA regulations, patients and doctors occasionally report different results from generic vs. brand name pills. This may have to do with the “vehicle” the medicine is delivered in; although the drug is the same, the other ingredients in the pill might be different. Most of the time, though, you won’t notice any difference.

One particular concern about generic birth control prescriptions is that the actual amount of medication in each pill might vary more than in brand name medicines. Actually, this hasn’t been well studied. The FDA says that the medication should be equivalent to the brand-name version. If it’s true that there is a bigger difference from pill to pill, however, it could cause side effects in women who are sensitive to hormone variations.