This is what I hear all the time at the pharmacy:

“Are generic drugs really as good as the Brand name “

Me: “Do you want the brand or the generic “

Patient: “I want the real stuff” (meaning the brand)

“Why are generics so much cheaper than the brand “

That brings me to why I’m here…to sort out any confusion you have about generic vs. brand-name drugs.

Generic drugs have the same exact dosage form (i.e. tablet or capsule), strength, safety, quality, route of administration (i.e. by mouth), planned use, and performance characteristics (they work just as well) as the brand name they are replacing.

Drug manufacturers have all the legal rights to a drug when it is first made (the drug is protected under a document called a patent). In the drug world, this protection is good for 17 years (for most drugs). It is illegal for other companies to make a generic drug before the patent on the brand name product has expired.

Millions of dollars are spent when trying to get a new drug to the market. These millions go toward researching, developing, advertising, and promoting the new drug. A generic is so much cheaper to make because the government allows the companies to skip some of the steps the brand name company already finished - they do not have to make the generic from scratch. Because the production costs of making a generic are so much lower, when the generic is ready to hit the pharmacy shelves, the manufacturers can sell it for less.

NOTE: Just because a generic is cheaper does not mean it was made in a facility that is dirty or has poor quality. Most of these generics are made in the same places as brand name drugs are!

It is a law that the generic cannot look exactly like the brand - its color, shape, or size have to be different - just because it does not look the same does not mean the generic works differently.

It is not true that the brand name drug works faster than its generic does - the FDA does not approve a generic unless it works just as quickly as the brand.

The FDA must approve all generic drugs before they can be sold to patients!

With all that being said, I urge you to try the generic if there is one available - the use of generics saves millions of dollars in healthcare costs. The millions saved can then be used in other areas of the healthcare system.