Figuring out the difference between generic vs. brand name drugs can be a confusing ordeal. When a pharmaceutical company develops a new drug, the drug is given two names. The first name is its generic name and represents the chemical structure or chemical form of the drug. The generic name of a drug never changes. The second name given to a drug is its brand name. This is the name given to the medicine by the pharmaceutical company and has nothing to do with its chemical form.
A generic drug is one which is identified by its official chemical name rather than an advertised brand name (DiMasi, 1995). The term has also come to mean a drug that has been introduced onto the market, usually after the patent on the brand-name drug has expired, through an approval process known as an Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA). Generics available in the U.S. have the same active chemical composition and have been demonstrated bioequivalent, i.e., deemed by the Food and & Drug Administration (FDA) to produce the same effect on the body as their brand-name counterparts
All medicines have two names: 1) brand 2) generic. Each medicine has a generic name to describe the ingredients. Drug companies give their medicines brand names.
Usually, the difference is in the name and the price of the medicine. A generic drug must have the same active ingredients as the brand name drug in order for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve the generic. The generic drug must also be the same strength and the same dosage form (pill, liquid, shot) as the brand name (DiMasi, 1995).
Sometimes, generic medicines have different fillers or additives that may cause slightly different effects. Generics typically cost less than brand name medications and are just as safe and effective. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates all pharmaceuticals, including generics, and determines whether or not they are safe and effective.
Generic medicines cost less because generic drug manufacturers don’t have to pay as much as brand-name drug manufacturers do for expensive research and development, sales, advertising and marketing (Anna, 1998).
Generic medicines are in the main copies of pharmaceutical products that are no longer protected by patent. This makes them attractive to the NHS, because they are generally less expensive than branded products. The prescribing of medicines by their generic name (‘generics’) by doctors continues to increase, yielding major savings in the NHS, yet some commentators have suggested that pharmacists should be free to override the decisions of doctors and dispense generics even where doctors have specifically written a prescription for a branded product. This process, known as generic substitution, would have few benefits in practice and many disadvantages (Anna, 1998). It would undermine doctors’ relationships with their patients and could compromise patient health by disrupting the choice of medication selected by their doctor.........................
