Why take a cheaper drug when the more expensive one works?

For many months now, druggists have been deluged with complaints from customers who can't seem to find Prilosec on the store shelves. A clue as to why it is missing comes from the fact that it and a much more expensive prescription drug called Nexium are made by the same manufacturer, the British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca.

I have taken both drugs to treat an acid-reflux condition. They work equally well. So I switched from Nexium to Prilosec to save money. It seems likely that AstraZeneca does not want to encourage others to follow my example. The manufacturer makes a lot more money when you use Nexium. And you're certainly more likely to use Nexium when you can't find Prilosec.

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