Generic drugs are often touted as a smart way to cut medication costs without compromising your health.

But Stephen Schondelmeyer, a professor of pharmaceutical economics at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, tells the Wall Street Journal it may not be so simple.

Schondelmeyer has added his voice to a growing chorus of health experts who warn that it’s important for consumers to be cautious about switching to some generics even though they are legally required to have the same chemical effect on the body as brand-name drugs.

The Food and Drug Administration evaluates generic drugs to make sure they are “the exact therapeutic equivalent of the originator brand-name drug,” he explains.

But there are differences in the way some generic drugs work for some patients, compared to brand-name drugs, in part because of diet, lifestyle habits, and other factors.

“You’ll find anecdotal evidence [of problems], but usually the drug had a different absorption rate because the patient ate a big meal before taking the medication, or something of that nature,” he said.

In addition, questions have been raised about safety and quality of some generics imported from India and other countries in the past year — prompting the FDA scrutiny and warnings for some classes of medications.