(NC) Brand drug coupon cards promise to give you a brand name drug at the same price as the generic version. But this “deal” comes with a cost: your personal information.

Did you know that your personal information is being collected?

When you sign up for a brand drug coupon program, the company is able to track your name, gender, age, address and medication history, and the behaviours of your doctor and pharmacist.

If the company is sold, they could legally transfer your personal data to another organization.

What's actually “free,” then?

But the savings are worth it, right? Well, not necessarily. In fact, in most cases the only thing that's truly “free” is the coupon or card itself.

Did you know that a brand drug coupon card doesn't simply top up the cost difference between the generic and the brand price? It uses a convoluted payment system, which historically shows that the brand name company avoids paying the full difference more than 95 per cent of the time.

This marketing scheme means that the rest of the costs are covered by employers who sponsor private drug plans, contributing to higher insurance premiums and leaving less money available to pay for other benefits that you and your family may need, such as vision, dental or expensive specialty medicines — when a proven, lower-cost alternative already exists.

Choose safe, proven generic drugs

If you care about your privacy and want affordable medication with no strings attached, say “yes” to the true cost-savings of generic drugs and “no” to brand cards. They're not the deal they pretend to be.

Together, we can all make healthcare more affordable by making smart choices — starting with choosing generic medicines from a company with a well-established quality track record.

For more information, visit TevaMakesMedicines.ca/CouponCards.

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