Q. I just filled a prescription for the sleeping pill zolpidem (generic Ambien) at a discount pharmacy. The literature with this prescription said my medication was manufactured in Amman, Jordan. What’s with this?
A. Increasingly, generic drugs (and many brand names as well) are made abroad. Costs tend to be lower in places like China and India. They are among the biggest players in the global pharmaceutical manufacturing industry.
Other countries including Thailand, Brazil and Mexico are also suppliers of raw ingredients. We’re not too surprised that Jordan would be making generic pharmaceuticals for the U.S. market.
Just because a drug is generic, though, doesn’t mean it can’t help you. Generic drugs offer significant savings, and if you use them wisely, you can get real benefit. We offer tips on what to look for in our book, Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them.
