What do consumers really think about generics?

Nearly two in three Americans (63%) choose generic medications over brand-name options. This finding comes from a new report from Tebra, which surveyed more than 1,000 Americans and compared the costs of popular medications in five major U.S. cities. 

Key findings from the report:

• Three in five Americans would prefer to buy brand-name medications but choose to buy generic ones because of the cost.
• 62% of Americans trust brand-name medications more than generics.
• 84% of Americans believe generic medications are just as effective as their brand-name counterparts.
• On average, generic medications cost approximately 79% less than brand-name medications.
• Although 62% of Americans trust brand-name medications more, nearly two in three (63%) said they prefer to buy generic drugs. Cost is the primary reason, with 91% citing it as the driving factor, followed by availability (34%). Additionally, 60% said they would prefer to buy brand-name medications but opt for generics because of the lower price.
• Income also influences medication choices. Those earning $100,000 or more annually were 32% more likely to favor brand-name medications. Gen Z, the youngest generation surveyed, was the most likely to prefer brand-name medications. Their top reasons included trusting them more than generics (78%), being familiar with the brand (69%), believing the brand name means higher quality (59%) and following a healthcare provider's recommendation (43%).
• One in 10 Gen Z and Millennial Americans said they base their preference for brand names on the packaging alone. In comparison, Gen X was the most likely to prefer generic medications, mainly due to cost (95%), previous experience (28%), availability (26%) and higher trust (15%).
• A large majority — 84% of Americans — said they believe that generic medications are just as effective as brand-name options. However, Gen Z was more skeptical, with 24% viewing generics as lower quality and 17% believing they're less effective than brand-name. Gen Z also showed stronger preferences for brand-name medications when treating specific conditions cough and cold, mental health pain relief and fever and headaches.
• Nearly one in 10 Americans said they believe generic drugs aren't tested as rigorously as brand-name, with Gen Z being the most likely to have this view (11%). Some also questioned whether generics are FDA-approved (7% of Gen Z), and 12% of Millennials believed that generics took longer to work compared to brand-name medications.
• On average, generic medications cost approximately 79% less than their brand-name counterparts. For more commonly used medications, such as allergy relief, patients can save up to 83% per prescription by choosing the generic alternative.