Generic Equivalents

A short while back I posted about bioavailability. If you read that, you might have thought I was perhaps misinformed.

Here is a link to CNN health guru Dr. Sanjay Gupta recently discussing a ConsumerLab study showing a large difference between one generic versus the original, branded version of an anti-depressant drug:
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/health/2007/10/19/gupta.generic.drugs.cnn
The study was privately funded after a large number of complaints reported at an online post hosted by The People's Pharmacy. The President of ConsumerLab, Tod Cooperman, stated:

Generic drugs can significantly reduce pharmaceutical costs, but consumers and healthcare providers need to be aware of the potential differences among products. Even if the active ingredient is the same, generics that release ingredient at a different rate may act differently in the body. Generics are not clinically tested for safety and efficacy, so the consumer will be the first to find out if there is a problem.