Highlights
- Sildenafil, the generic form of Viagra, is much cheaper than the popular name-brand product.
- Generic medications cost less to produce and are subject to the price-lowering pressures of a competitive market.
- The discount of generics over name-brand Viagra can be over 90 percent.
- The FDA strictly regulates the efficacy of generics, ensuring their compliance.
- If you buy Viagra or sildenafil online, you get added value when ordering from eDrugstore.
Generic vs. name-brand drugs is a question most people on regular medication have considered at some point. Generic drugs cost much less and should work as well as brand-name medications. But there can be significant differences in how generic prices are discounted at various retailers.
Brick-and-Mortar Retailers with the Highest Generic Viagra Discounts
For several years, we’ve been tracking the prices of ED medications at a number of retailers across the country so we can bring you up-to-date pricing information every month. For this article, we used that database to find out which brick-and-mortar stores offer the best discount for those who prefer to use sildenafil, the generic form of Viagra.
As the table above shows, generic Viagra is significantly cheaper than the name-brand product at brick-and-mortar pharmacies.
As of March 2023, Publix leads the way; at their stores, a daily dose of 100 milligram sildenafil costs 99.1 percent less than the same dose of Pfizer Viagra.
Generic vs. Name-brand Drugs: How Pricing Works
To understand why generic Viagra can be 90 percent cheaper than the name-brand product, you must understand how drug prices work.
When a company creates a name-brand drug through costly research and development, it gets to patent the drug. It secures exclusive production rights for about 20 years, after which the patent expires.
With no patent to protect the drug, other companies can then mass-produce it. The FDA approves multiple generic drugs for the same product. Companies that make the generic versions don’t have to pay scientists to do the research, perform animal and human studies, or jump through as many legal hoops as the companies that invent the drugs.
Because they don’t have to pay for the research and development costs, a single generic manufacturer can afford to lower the cost of a product by about 30 percent. With five companies making generics, market competition may drop prices by 85 to 90 percent.
The FDA encourages this competition by approving more generics. Lower drug prices save the U.S. healthcare system a considerable amount of money. Of course, patients also benefit from these savings.
The Generic Drug Approval Process
The FDA has systems in place to ensure that the resulting generic drugs work as well as the original name-brand products. The FDA’s Office of Generic Drugs has oversight of the approval process. In addition to reviewing new generic drug approval applications, the Office of Generic Drugs also:
- Provides regulatory oversight and guidance to matters concerning generic drugs
- Acts as a contact point for doctors, researchers, patients, and advocacy groups to investigate generic drug ingredient inconsistencies and adverse events
- Supports the development of generic drugs by researching drug equivalence and scientific initiatives concerning generics
To pre-approve a generic drug, the FDA ensures that:
- The generic drug and the name-brand version are pharmaceutically equivalent
- The manufacturer can produce the drug to specifications
- The drug maker can produce the drug without quality fluctuations
- The active ingredient is the right one
- The active ingredient works as it does in the name-brand drug
- The quality of the drug does not change over time
- The inactive ingredients of the generic are safe
- The packaging meets its standards
- The patents of the name-brand product are no longer valid
- The label of the generic is the same as that of the name-brand drug
After they complete the pre-approval review, the FDA takes additional steps to ensure that generic medications meet its standards. These steps include:
- Manufacturing inspections. The FDA inspects manufacturing plants to ensure that generic drug makers comply with its requirements.
- Monitoring. The Administration monitors supply chains, active ingredients, and end products to ensure compliance with its strict standards and regulations.
- Investigation. FDA receives and investigates patient reports about side effects and safety concerns.
Generic vs Brand-name Drugs: Effectiveness
So, should you convert your Viagra prescription to sildenafil? Does sildenafil work as well as Viagra? As with all generic and name-brand drugs, there are some differences between them.
- Different inactive ingredients. In addition to the active ingredients, manufacturers use dyes, preservatives, and fillers in their drugs.
- Lower prices. Companies that mass-produce generic drugs have not incurred costs with research and development. They can afford to sell their products for less.
- A variety of manufacturers. A single company makes a name-brand drug. In Viagra’s case, that company is Pfizer. But many different manufacturers can make generic drugs like sildenafil.
Not surprisingly, generic medications are hugely popular; 90 percent of the drugs doctors prescribe in the U.S. are generics. But are they as effective as the original, brand-name versions? The answer is yes. The FDA has systems in place to ensure that these generic drugs work as well as the original, brand-name drugs.
Bottom line? As with all generics, as long as you buy legitimate sildenafil from a trustworthy source, you should get the same effectiveness, dosage, safety, stability, quality, strength, side effects, and risks as Viagra.
The only additional risk to you if you choose the generic version is that you might be allergic to one of its inactive ingredients.
Advantages to Buying Viagra or Sildenafil Online
Our data only covers the discounts offered by brick-and-mortar retailers, but you should find similar savings among online sellers of generic medications. If you stick to FDA-approved products and regulated online pharmacies like eDrugstore, the advantages of buying Viagra online outweigh its risks.
- Lower prices
- Convenience
- Expert guidance
- Licensed doctors
- Quick prescriptions
- Availability
- Privacy
- Quick shipping
Why Buy from eDrugstore?
When you buy erectile dysfunction medications like Viagra or sildenafil from eDrugstore, you get a complimentary medical consultation from a U.S.-licensed physician, so you save the cost and time involved in visiting your doctor to get a prescription.
Ordering from eDrugstore also comes with these benefits:
- Our doctors and pharmacists are always available.
- The ordering process is secure.
- Your personal information is confidential.
- We won’t fill your inbox with spam.
- Delivery is fast and discrete.
- We offer overnight shipping.
- We include a handy pill splitter with your order.
Order today and don’t let erectile dysfunction keep you on the sidelines!
James West is a seasoned health and wellness writer with a focus on topics related to physiology, sleep, and men’s health. He has contributed articles on a range of subjects, from erectile dysfunction treatments and sleep aids to hair loss, providing well-researched insights to help readers make informed health decisions.