Any medication should only be used under medical supervision because they have indications, contraindications and adverse effects that should be evaluated by the doctor. Care should be redoubled in the case of children because they are more sensitive and respond to medications differently.
Know the differences between branded drugs, generic and similar.
Brand Medication
Brand name drugs are the first to appear in pharmacies after several tests and are approved by Anvisa, the agency that regulates the use of medicines in Brazil. These medications are usually more expensive than generic and similar ones on the market, but all are equally effective.
Generic drug
The generic drug is one that is sold by the name of the active ingredient used in the formula. Some laboratory brands that market generic medicines are EMS, Medley, Eurofarma, Neo Química, Teuto, Merck and Novartis.
Prior to being marketed generic and similar drugs undergo stringent quality tests and are therefore reliable. They are easily recognized by their packaging, are cheaper, are equally reliable to brand, and can be found in all pharmacies and drugstores.
Similar Medication
Similar market remedies have the same active principle and the same presentation, which can be in syrup, tablet or suppository. The main differences between the Similar and the brand remedy are shelf life and packaging, for example.
How to save money on medicines
One strategy to spend less on the pharmacy or drugstore is to ask the doctor to prescribe the active principle of the drug, which makes it possible to buy generic or similar.
To buy a generic or similar drug without the prescription, if you do not know the active principle of the medicine, just ask at the pharmacy counter for the generic or similar of Cataflan or Feldene, for example. By mentioning the name of the brand name drug, the pharmacist soon knows what his generic and similar is, and may indicate the most appropriate.
Buying medicines at the popular pharmacy is also a great option. Another option that can be helpful is to resort to home remedies that are made from herbal teas. Here are some examples in the category: Home Remedies. But while they are useful in combating diseases, home remedies and herbal remedies should also be used with the doctor's knowledge.
