| Switching to generic medications is undoubtedly saves money. A lot of people would like to know if there is any difference between brand name medications and their generic versions. Here is a detailed analysis of the two.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug administration (FDA), to receive FDA approval, a generic medication must: contain the same active ingredients as the brand name drug (inactive ingredients may differ), be identical in strength, dose form and route of administration; comply with the same batch requirements for identity, efficacy, purity and quality; be produced under the same specified standards of FDA's good producing practice regulations required for innovator medications. To put it differently, their pharmacological effects are identical to those of their brand name versions.
A great many people question the potency of generic drugs, because the latter are frequently much cheaper than brand name versions. They wonder if the quality and potency have been compromised to make less expensive medications. Generic medications are mandatory to be as secure and efficacious as branded medications.
In fact, the lower cost of generic drugs is explained by the fact that the producers have not had the expenses of developing and marketing a new medication. When a company introduces a new drug to the pharmaceutical market, the business has already spent a substantial amount of money on research, development, marketing and promotion of the medication. The producer that manufactures the drug is given a patent - an exclusive right to sell the medication as long as the patent is valid. As the expiration date of the patent nears, producers can ask the FDA for a permit to make and sell generic versions of the drug. Without the startup expenses on development of the drug, manufacturers can afford to produce and sell it cheaper. When several producers start manufacturing and selling a medication, the competition among them can also result in a lower price.
The FDA applies the same standards for all medication manufacturing facilities a lot of producers make both brand name and generics. In fact, half of generic drug production is estimated to be made by brand name producers.
Sometimes, generic versions of a medication have different colors, flavors, or combinations of inactive ingredients in comparison with original medications. According to the U.S. Trademark law, generic drugs are not allowed to look exactly like brand name drugs. Still, active ingredients in boht preparations must be the same, securing that both have the same medicinal properties.
The same variations are also seen between brand name medications sold in different countries. A drug can be a bolus in the USA, but a tablet in Canada, for instance, even though it is made by the same brand name company. |
