--- title: Generic Cholesterol Drugs: You May Be Better Off Than With Brand Name description: Those who take generic cholesterol medication are more likely to prevent cardiovascular disorders. canonical: https://time.com/3378699/generic-vs-brand-name-cholesterol-drugs/ author: Justin Worland article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-09-15T21:00:34.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-21T10:11:13.849Z article:section: Health og:title: Here's Why You May Be Better Off Taking Generic Cholesterol Drugs og:description: Those who take generic cholesterol medication are more likely to prevent cardiovascular disorders. og:url: https://time.com/3378699/generic-vs-brand-name-cholesterol-drugs/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Here's Why You May Be Better Off Taking Generic Cholesterol Drugs twitter:description: Those who take generic cholesterol medication are more likely to prevent cardiovascular disorders. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # Here's Why You May Be Better Off Taking Generic Cholesterol Drugs  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Sep 15, 2014 9:00 PM UTC  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Sep 15, 2014 9:00 PM UTC A new [study](http://www.annals.org/article.aspx?doi=10.7326/P14-9033) in the _Annals of Internal Medicine_ found that the cost difference between generic and brand-name drugs seems to be a big factor when it comes to sticking with a medication–especially when it comes to statins, one of the [most-prescribed drugs](http://healthland.time.com/2013/04/04/side-effects-of-statins-may-be-tolerable/) in the country. People who got the generic versions of the cholesterol-lowering medication were more likely to consistently take it and avoid cardiovascular disorders than those who filled the brand-name kind. “Initiating a generic versus a brand-name statin seems to be associated with lower out-of-pocket costs, improved adherence to therapy, and improved clinical outcomes,” the study said. The study, which looked at more than 90,000 patients over age of 65, found that people taking generic drugs were more likely to stick to their medication regimen. Price played a role in this disparity, the study suggests. The average cost to fill a prescription for the consumer was $10 for generic statins versus $48 for brand names. “Given this substantial cost difference, it is perhaps not surprising that adherence and cardiovascular outcomes were worse among patients receiving brand-name statins,” study authors wrote. Overall, people who took generic drugs had 8% fewer incidents than people who used brand-name drugs. The study received grant support from drug manufacturer Teva Pharmaceutical (which makes both generic and brand-name drugs) and acknowledges that the results may not be generalizable for certain populations: particularly those with greater incomes or access to insurance plans that provide better coverage for brand-name drugs. 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