Differences between generics and brand drugs

Looking at the bottom of your prescription, you have probably seen two signature lines. On the first line it is printed “Product Selection Permitted” while on the other one it is “Dispense as Prescribed”. Depending on where your doctor has appended his signature it means that a patient or a pharmacy may choose between the brand name drug and the generic version of that very drug.

It is quite naturally that manufacturers as well as companies that developed and patented the drug would prove that the brand name drugs are better than generics and are superior to them. And of course those who produced generics would make you believe that there is no a significant difference between two such medications.

So what should we believe?

From the technical point of view, generic drugs have the same active ingredients, the same dose of that active ingredient, the same intended use, the same method of administration, strength, risks and, of course, the same side effects.

Speaking about their main difference it is possible to identify the prices. First of all it is necessary to mention that manufacturers of the brand name drugs take into account the cost of the research, development, testing and patent costs built into the drug. Only the drug producer who was the first to develop the brand name drug has a right to use this certain brand name. This manufacturer may exclusively sell that very medication it developed and tested for a particular period of time.

When the term of the patent on the brand name drug comes to an end and a generic drug company has a right to also manufacture the medication under the terms of the law, it should not waste their money for developing and testing the medication. Though the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) requires carrying out of all the necessary efficacy tests to check the active ingredients to be sure they may be used in the brand name drug as well as in generic, the companies which produce generics should not spend money for the preliminary testing and development research.

Besides, as soon as the term of a patent comes to an end, the generic drug manufacturers can apply to the FDA to produce a generic version of the medication. The more companies want to make a generic version, the more competition is as for price, the cheaper the generic drug will cost.

As a matter of fact the FDA requires generic drugs as well as brand drugs to be tested for the efficacy and generic drugs are required to be of the same high quality and meet demands of the same standards as brand name medications.

So, judging from the facts mentioned above it seems that there is no difference between brands and generics except their price. If it is really so, then why do the doctors sometimes prescribe more expensive brand name drugs instead of cheaper medications of the same quality?

First of all, you should know that drugs may be different in appearance; as though generics are required to have the same active ingredients as brand drugs have, they may include different inert ingredients. Inert ingredient of course may not influence the activity of the medication however it may provoke an allergic reaction or interact with other medications prescribed to the patient. That is the main reason why the doctor may choose just more expensive brand name drug instead of a cheaper generic.

So if your doctor sees no danger in the reaction of the generics ingredients and other medications prescribed to you, you may choose between two drugs without losing in quality and effectiveness.