In 2017, October felt her anxiety and panic attacks developing into something more serious: Her life, work, and relationships seemed meaningless. Realizing she needed help, October, age 26, sought in-hospital treatment in Maryland and was diagnosed with anxiety and chronic depression. She was started on a brand-name antidepressant; but after a change in health insurance coverage, she learned that her out-of-pocket costs for the medicine would be much higher. Her therapist recommended switching to a more affordable generic antidepressant, and she’s been on one ever since.
I was able to put that money [I saved] toward therapy sessions and other activities that would help with my mental health. I hope that anyone out there who’s struggling with depression has access to affordable antidepressants.
Generic medicines offer much-needed financial relief for the millions of patients, like October. In 2021 alone, patients taking medicines for mental illness saved nearly $60 billion by opting for generics. And more broadly, tens of millions of Americans have entrusted their health to generics and biosimilars, resulting in more than $2.6 trillion saved over the last decade.
Read the 2022 Voices of Access Report
Share Your Voice
As we continue to advocate for accessible generics and biosimilars, we will rely more than ever on the voices of real patients. We invite you to share your story on what generic and biosimilar medicines mean to you and urge you to subscribe for advocacy alerts.
By Erica Klinger, Senior Director, Marketing
Published on September 29, 2021