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'Generic Drugs' are prescription drugs which have the same - active ingredient formula as a brand name drug. When the company develops a new drug, it gives it two names. One is the chemical name, which is long and complicated. So the drugs are given a standard shorter generic name. The second is a brand name, which the manufacturer names the product. As soon as the company finds out about the safety and effectiveness of the drug, it obtains a patent. A patent lasts for twenty years. When the patent expires on a brand name drug, the FDA allows manufacturers other than the main developer to make an equivalent of the brand name drug and makes it available to the public. Many manufacturers come forward to create the generic version. In most cases, the original pharmaceutical firm, which produces the brand name drug, also begins making the generic version.
In order to get FDA approval, a generic drug must:
- Contain the same active elements of the brand name drug
- Be similar in strength, dosage and route of administration
- Have the same use indications
- Should be produced under strict standards
Generic drugs: Get to know the facts
- It is as safe as brand name drugs
- It is same in quality, purity and strength as brand name drugs
- It takes the same amount of time to work
- It is less expensive
- It follows the same standards of good manufacturing practices
- It looks different from a brand name drug because the trade laws does not allow it to have the same look
Why are Generic drugs less expensive?
The generic drug manufacturers need not bear any investment costs unlike the new drug developer. There is hardly any money spent on research, advertising, promotion and development. So, they can afford to sell the products at a reasonable and much lower cost. Also, once the patent expires and the generic drugs are approved, the drug market becomes highly competitive. It naturally brings down the price. Today, almost half of all prescriptions are filled with generic drugs.
As FDA puts it, a therapeutically similar generic many differ in:
- Shape
- Release mechanisms
- Packaging
- Color
- Flavor
- Preservative
- Expiration date/time
- Labeling aspects
Using a Generic drug
Following the FDA
regulation, the Generic drug must be produced with the
same active ingredients. But Generic drugs can alter slightly
because of the differences in inactive ingredients. In some
cases, you may also have a reaction. Leave it to your doctor
to decide what's best for your health. |
