The Department of Health (DOH) assured the public that generic medicines are equally safe and effective as their branded counterparts.

“People have to understand also whether it be branded or unbranded generics, pareho lang ang safety, efficacy (the safety and efficacy is the same),” said DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire in a recent press briefing.

“Pareho lang iyan ng ibibigay na effectiveness para sa binili niyo o purpose ng gamot na iyon (It will provide the same effectiveness based on the purpose of that medicine) as long as the Food and Drug Administration has given its clearance or authorization for that specific product,” she added.

The DOH also assured that the generic medicines available in the market are of high quality.

“Kung pupunta kayo sa drugstore na linsensyado ng Food and Drug Administration, kasi yung mga drugstores po ay hindi pwedeng magbenta ng mga counterfeit at pekeng gamot (If you go to a drugstore licensed by the Food and Drug Administration, these drugstores cannot sell counterfeit medicines),” said DOH Pharmaceutical Division Director Dr. Anna Melissa Guerrero in a radio interview on Sunday, Oct. 1.

Guerrero said that the Health department is also using generic medicines for their programs.

“Ako po ay doktora at gumagamit ng generic. Lahat po kami sa Department of Health, pag kami ay bumibili ng gamot generic po lahat ng gamit ng Department of Health sa aming mga programa at maganda naman po ang outcome ng mga programa ng Department of Health (I am a doctor and I’m using generic medicines. The Department of Health is also using generic drugs in its programs and yielded good outcomes),” she said.

“Marami na po tayong nakikita na outcomes din po na meron kaming hypertension program, diabetes program at nakokontrol naman po yung kanilang blood sugar at high blood (We are already seeing a lot of outcomes particularly in our hypertension and diabetes programs, and control their blood sugar and high blood ),” she added.