GENERIC DRUGS
VS BRAND NAME DRUGS 

When comparing the quality of brand named drugs with the quality of the generic drug of the same name there has always been suspicion if the quality is the same. 

 

First of all when a company develops a new drug, the drug is given two names; first the generic name which is the name of the active ingredient and secondly the brand name which is name the manufacturer calls the product.

 

When a company wants to license a new drug in the United States they must first get a patent for their product which lasts for 20 years.  During this twenty year period no other company can reproduce their product as they have sole rights to the marketing and manufacturing during those 20 years. 

 

Eventually when a patent expires, the opportunity then exists for any other company may manufacture the drug under a different brand name or under its generic name. 

 

Manufacturing and marketing of generic drugs are done in strict compliance with guidelines that are established by the Food and Drug Administration –FDA--. 

 

Approval of Generic Drugs

 

Before application for approval of a generic drug, a pharmaceutical company must comply by submitting the required information about the product, how it will complete the manufacturing process and the quality control process first to the FDA. 

 

Also to be supplied are the list of both inactive and active ingredients; the FDA then studies the information and determines whether the drug is acceptable.

 

 

The FDA’s Manufacturing Standards and Regulations

 

For each drug that is manufactured by a pharmaceutical company whether they are generic or brand name drugs, they must demonstrate that the manufacturing processes will produce a consistent quality every time. 

 

Approximately 55% of the generic drugs produced in the United Stated are made by companies who also manufacture brand name drugs.  The other 45% are produced by companies that specialize in the production of generic drugs.

 

When it comes to generic drugs they also must prove to the FDA that they have the same medical affect as their brand name equivalent by measuring the rate and extent of drug absorption.  

 

They also require that generic drugs contain the identical amounts of the same active drug ingredients, also having the same dosage form and strength as their brand name counterparts.

 

Generic Drugs save You Money

 

When comparing the prices of generic drugs with their brand name counterparts you can save from 15-50% purchasing the generic over the brand name drug.  You will find that generic drug manufacturers will compete against each other and that the prices of the generic drugs remain competitive. 

 

The opposite happens with brand name drug companies as they will not usually respond to competition from their generic counterparts.

 

Why are Generic Drugs Cheaper than Brand Name Drugs

 

The greatness of the generic drug manufacturers is that they don’t have the same costs of those manufacturers of brand name drugs.  One of the main reasons is that the cost of developing a brand name drug is greater than developing a generic drug. 

 

That is why brand name drugs have product market exclusivity with patent rights so they may recoup their investment in new product development.

 

When it comes to marketing of generic drugs the manufacturers have to spend less money on marketing their products. 

 

As there are usually multiple manufacturers selling the same generic drug under the same chemical name, what marketing and advertising activities are done ensuring that their commerce customers are aware that a generic is available.

 

Once a brand drugs exclusivity with a patent has expired, other manufacturers may apply to the FDA using an Abbreviated New Drug Application --ANDA--.  

 

Using this process the generic manufacturer can then use the safety and efficacy data supplied by the brand company.  From this information the generic company only has to prove to the FDA that its generic product is equivalent to the branded product.

 

Conclusion of Comparisons Generic Drugs versus Brand Name Drugs

 

As long as a generic drug has been approved by the FDA in the United States, I would definitely recommend purchasing the generic brand over the brand name. 

 

With people purchasing prescription drugs online I definitely recommend them to do so, as it is better to keep the extra dollars on prescriptions in your pocket rather than an online pharmacy.

 

If there is no generic brand available due to patent rights on the same brand name drug, I would go with the brand name drug unless you get a different recommendation from a doctor.