The cases for and against prescribing generic drugs: don't take innovative research based pharmaceutical companies for granted.

In a cost conscious society the research based pharmaceutical company is increasingly being portrayed as a profiteer and the company manufacturing generic drugs as a cutter of costs to the NHS. Clearly such an extreme view is both shortsighted and wrong, particularly as unreasonable profits are prevented by the direct control of the Department of Health. In putting the case for prescribing drugs with brand names both medical and economic arguments have to be considered.