How safe is generic Provigil? (Modafinil)

Provigil is one of the most expensive drugs compared to its generics (Modafinil) due to a lack of alternatives. Provigil retails in the USA at US$ 10-20 per pill, because it enjoys patent protection. A patent is an exclusivity granted by way of market monopoly to compensate the pharmaceutical companies for their time and resources spent to develop the drug. It allows drug companies to enjoy greater profit to recoup the costs incurred when researching the drug. This forms the bulk of the cost in producing these drugs, because the actual chemical compounds can be synthesized at a very cheap rate. Generic drugs on the other hand, are usually not protected by patents, and usually sell for way cheaper.

Active v. Inactive Ingredients
Generic drugs such as Modafinil perform a similar function as their originals because they contain the same active ingredients. Active Ingredients are biologically active, and serve to deliver the key function of the drugs (in Modafinil’s case, promoting wakefulness). Any other compounds that do not serve this purpose are considered to be inactive ingredients. They are added for the purposes of formulation compatibility, which include helping to bind the ingredients, disintegrants, etc. In fact, clinical studies have concluded that more than 98% of generic drugs have less than 10% difference in their effectiveness as compared to their brand name counterparts. The study also outlines that generic drugs often outperform the originals. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has strict guidelines on approval when it comes to generic drugs, one of which is that all generic drugs must contain the same active ingredients. This is done to promote greater access to healthcare as generics are usually cheaper.

Reputable Manufacturers
While there is law regulating that active ingredients must be identical, there are significant risks from buying prescription drugs from unknown sources. One news outlet noted that in 2015, a raid in Los Angeles seized over 415,000 doses of counterfeit pharmaceuticals. There is no accountability when it comes to counterfeit pharmaceuticals, because the manufacturers masquerade another company’s identity and will not be too concerned with quality control. This produces a great risk of active compounds being tainted or diluted with unknown harmful substances. Some manufacturers go as far as to completely substitute the active ingredients for sugar.

As a consumer seeking affordable healthcare, you should do your due diligence and only buy from reputable sources. After all, its your health that is on the line.

At foxdose, we sell generic Modafinil, (Modalert 200mg) manufactured by Sun Pharma, the 5th largest generics manufacturer based in India. We take careful efforts to verify all batches to ensure quality, so that you only get the good stuff.