Brand-Name Drugs Are Worth the High Price Tag

Your article on the debate between brand-name and generic prescription drugs (“The Price We Pay,” Oct. 16) reinforced the notion of how important my health is and how I’m not willing to gamble with it--at any cost. I understand your argument about the so-called evils of pharmaceutical companies and their marketing and advertising practices, but I also appreciate their dedication to medical advancements that help the public. Many people would not even know some of these drugs exist if they did not see the television or magazine ads about them.

Drug companies spend billions of dollars on researching and developing drugs that will benefit consumers, only to have generic manufacturers capitalize on their innovations. Each year, pharmaceutical companies produce numerous drugs that are designed to save lives and cut health care costs. Imagine how much a patient would pay for a lengthy hospital stay that is otherwise prevented by these new medicines. When it comes to medicines, the more something costs, the better it is.

--GEORGE M. THOMAS

Chatsworth