What are Generic Drugs

What are Generic Drugs?

If you have ever had a prescription filled at a pharmacy you are probably familiar with the term, "Generic drug".

Do you know what a generic drug is? They comprise approximately half of all prescriptions that are filled.

Generic drugs are equivalent to the brand-name drug but the generic has a lower price.

A generic drug is a similar chemical or drug formulation and acts on the body with the same strength and absorption process as the brand-name drug, so the generic drug is the bioequivalent of the brand-name drug.

The generic drug must also be equal in not only the function of the drug but also in the safety, strength, and route of administration (form it is taken in like pill form, liquid form, etc.).

It must also be equal in quality, performance and have the same intended use as its brand-name drug. Given all the ways that the generic must be equal to the brand-name drug, what is the difference between the brand-name drug and its equivalent generic drug?

The answer is one word - price! Generic drugs are less expensive than their name-brand equivalents.

One reason that generic drug cost less than the equivalent brand-name drug is that the generic drug has less over-head costs than the original creator of the particular drug.

The creator of the drug pays for all the research and laboratory testing including clinical trials not to mention the cost of marketing the original drug, all of which can add up to billions of dollars.

They price the brand-name drug so that they can recoup the cost of making and marketing the drug.

Prescription Medicine The route is determined by the absorption need, the best way to give relief, and the type of medication. Many cancer medications can only be given intravenously, and others are installed in the bladder or intra peritoneal instillation. Drugs and Medicine

 

People still do chose to purchase the brand name drug over the generic equivalent, why would they do that? Some individuals succumb to the marketing efforts of the original creator of the drug and buy the drug based on name recognition.

Others simply either do not understand that generics are equal in quality, safety and effectiveness or they simply have the assumption that generic drugs are somehow inferior to brand-name drugs.

Drugs And Effects Did you know that it is a good idea to keep a list of all prescription, over-the-counter medications or supplements that you are taking as well as a list for all family members? The list should include the name of the medication, which it is for, the brand name and the generic name and who prescribed it if appropriate along with the contact information. Always make sure you have the pharmacist phone number on the list. Keep a copy of each list where you keep your important papers, and give one copy to all the doctors who care for you and each family member. It is a good idea to use the same pharmacy for all your medication needs so that the pharmacist can easily catch interactions. Drugs and Medicine

Some people feel that you get what you pay for and if you pay less for a drug that is supposedly the same than there must be something wrong with it.

Some patients are hesitant to switch from a brand-name drug to its equivalent generic because of trust. They have become used to the name of the drug and have build a trust in the drug that is works for them and are hesitant to trust a generic to work as well.

There may be certain cases in which a generic drug will have different inactive ingredients than what the name-brand drug has in it.

These different inactive ingredients may make the drug taste or look different, making people think that because it looks or taste different that it IS different in its effectiveness or its safety or quality.

Then, there are those who think that if a drug is cheaper that there must be something that has been left out in order to make it cheaper.