
Generic drugs are pharmacologically identical to their branded counterparts
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When people think a drug is cheap, they seem to have worse side effects. The findings could prompt doctors to explain to people that treatments, whether trademarked brands or cheap knock-offs, are effective and safe.
“Most people have heard of the placebo effect,” says Kate Firth of the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. “The idea is that if you take a sugar pill and think it works, your health will improve.”