Updated June 08, 2015.

Non-generic drugs are getting expensive.

Consider the retail price for a one month supply of some common brand name drugs at a national pharmacy:

• Ciprodex for an ear infection $142.98
• Vigamox for pink eye $101.99
• Advair Diskus 100/50 for asthma $185.99
• Protopic ointment for eczema $132.99
• Vyvanse 30 for ADHD $189.97
• Retin-A micro cream for acne $123.99
• Clarinex 5mg Reditabs for allergies $145.99

This leads many parents to seek generic drug alternatives, which will hopefully be less expensive.

Unfortunately, no one really makes it easy to find generic drugs. Even your insurance company likely lists generic drugs by an unfamiliar generic drug name, like fexofenadine, instead of the more familiar Allegra.
Your pharmacist, and hopefully your pediatrician, can help you figure out when a generic alternative will work for your child, but you have to ask first...

Keep in mind that because of the high incidence of resistance, many generic antibiotics have been replaced by newer medications. This is especially true for the ophthalmic or eye medications. Other older, generic drugs have been replaced by newer medications because newer ones are more convenient to take, work better, or cause less side effects.

Commonly used generic drugs which can save you money versus non-generic, brand name medicines, include:

Generic Antibiotics

In addition to Amoxicillin, there are quite a few generic antibiotics available these days. Unfortunately, not all of them are available in a suspension form for younger kids.

• Amoxicillin/Clavulanate Acid (Augmentin ES)

• Azithromycin (Zithromax)
• Cefadroxil (Duricef)
• Cefdinir (Omnicef)
• Cefprozil (Cefzil)
• Cefuroxime (Ceftin) tablets only
• Cephalexin (Keflex)
• Cepodoxime (Vantin) tablets only
• Clarithromycin (Biaxin)
• Clindamycin (Cleocin)
• Erythromycin (E.E.S.)
• Minocycline (Minocin)
• Mupirocin (Bactroban) ointment only

Generic Eczema Medicines

Newer eczema medicines, such as Elidel and Protopic, aren't available as generics yet. Fortunately, most steroid medicines used to treat eczema flares are available as generics, including:

• Fluticasone 0.05% cream (Cutivate)
• Hydrocortizone Valerate 0.2% cream (Westcort)
• Mometasone Furoate 0.1% (Elocon)
• Triamcinolone cream and ointment 0.1% (TAC)

Other Generic Medicines

Other drugs that are commonly used in pediatrics, in addition to the ones that are on the Wal-Mart generic drug plan include:

• Ciclopirox cream and susp (Loprox) antifungal
• Cyproheptadine (Periactin)
• Econazole nitrate cream (Spectazole) antifungal
• Fluconazole (Diflucan)
• Neosporin ophthalmic ointment
• Ofloxacin 0.3% ophthalmic soln (Ocuflox)
• Polythylene Glycol (for constipation)
• Prednisolone (Prelone)
• Ondansetron (Zofran) - nausea and vomiting
• Ofloxacin (Floxin otic drops)

Generic Allergy and Asthma Medicines

Since kids typically have both allergies and asthma and need to be treated with multiple medications for good control of their symptoms, parents usually appreciate any help with the expense of these medications. Unfortunately, now that Allegra, Claritin, and Zyrtec went over-the-counter, many insurance companies stopped paying for prescription allergy medicines and there are few if any generic asthma medications, especially asthma controller medicines. Generic allergy and asthma medications do include:

• Albuterol neb soln
• Budesonide (Pulmicort Respules)
• Flunisolide Nasal Spray (Nasarel)
• Fluticasone Nasal Spray (Flonase)

Generic Acne Medicines

Many teens are prescribed 2 or 3 medicines to help get their acne under control, which can get expensive. Although there are many newer medications, like Benzaclin, Tazorac, and Retin A Micro gel, you might ask your pediatrician if you could start your child's treatment with older medicines that are now generic, including:

• Adapalene (Differin gel)
• Erythromycin/Benzoyl Peroxide gel (Benzamycin)
• Tretinion cream (Retin A)

Minocycline (Minocin) is an oral generic antibiotic that is also typically used to treat children with acne.

Generic ADHD Medicines

The newer ADHD medicines, including Vyvanse, Concerta, Focalin XR, and Strattera, are good examples of when it can pay to go with a non-generic medication, since they offer a very real benefit of working for 10 to 12 hours versus the generics, which have to be taken at least twice a day:

• D-Amphetamine Salt Combo (Adderall)
• D-Amphetamine Salt Combo (Adderall XR)
• Dexmethylphenidate (Focalin)
• Dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine)
• Methylin ER (Ritalin SR)
• Methylphenidate (Ritalin)
• Methylphenidate CR

Non-Generic Drugs

More expensive, and sometimes newer, medicines that your pediatrician may be prescribing lately can include:

• Advair Diskus and Advair HFA
• Azmacort
• Ciprodex
• Clarinex
• Flovent HFA
• Nasonex
• Asmanex
• Rhinocort Aqua
• Singulair
• Vigamox
• Xopenex and Xopenex HFA
• Zymar
• Retin-A micro
• Epiduo
• Tamiflu

New Generic Drugs

New drugs become available all of the time, as drugs either go off patent or lose their patents. Unfortunately, this process can take time as drug companies fight to keep their drugs from going to generic.
The whole process of going from brand name to generic drug is illustrated in the recent fight by drug companies over Adderall XR.

Generic Concerta should be available soon. An authorized generic will be distributed in May 2011, although without any competition, it may not be that inexpensive.