Welcome to the King County’s web site on Prescription Drugs and Generics.
Here you’ll find the latest news, information and some nifty online tools to help you better understand prescription drugs and the role generics play in delivering high quality care, while saving money for you and your family.
Generics play in important role in enhancing the quality of health care in King County. These FDA approved, well-tested and cost effective prescriptions – which must always be approved by your doctor -- help reduce spending on prescription drug benefits when they are substituted for brand name drugs.
The savings you enjoy by choosing generics today helps keep a lid on the cost of health benefits for all employees.
Generic medications are widely accepted by doctors and pharmacists. Already, more than 64% of all medications dispensed to King County plan members each year are generic drugs. Over the next few years, many more brand-name drugs will become available as generics for common medical conditions. Here are a few frequently asked questions regarding generic drugs.
Resources
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has brochures with information on generics that you can print out: Facts About Generic Drugs(print and audio selections available)
What’s the generic name for that brand-named drug? With the “Orange Book” you search by the name of a drug to find out if a generic form of that drug has been approved by the FDA. (Source: FDA)
Tip: “Proprietary Name” means brand name. You can also search by generic names and ingredients.
(The King County web site makes use of Real Audio and Real Video files that can be accessed by using the Real Player software. Windows users can download a free version of the RealOne player. More full-featured versions and versions for other operating systems are also available.)
you search by the name of a drug to find out if a generic form of that drug has been approved by the FDA. (Source: FDA)