Are Generic Drugs as Effective as Name Brands?

[Katrina]

Indians spend more than 100 billion dollars per year on pharmaceuticals, and with costs rising all the time, many are looking to generic alternatives. These products promise the same benefits as their name-brand equivalents, but at a fraction of the cost. When considering something as important as your personal health, do generic drugs measure up?

[Perseus]

Yes, because they have the same type of srug in them. Aspirin is called "Aspirin" becuase there's aspirin in it, and there non name brand drugs that do the same thing, they're just not called "Aspirin".

[ShatteredWings]

if it's the same dosage of the chemical, there's no real way it could be 'less effective'.

actually, there's a problem with name-brand drugs being counterfeit, so I'd think that generics would be more effective..

[ltimm]

A medicine's patent is up in 10 years. Once that ten years it up, generic brands get produced. The original producer doesn't tell what the formula is. So, the generic medicine producers take a 'best guess'(analyze it)as to what's in it. I'm pretty sure generic drugs are more dangerous and less effective (or TOO effective!).

[Darkhorse]

All i know is that the side-effects are worse and there are more of them

[ShatteredWings]

The original producer doesn't tell what the formula is. So, the generic medicine producers take a 'best guess'(analyze it)as to what's in it.

The difference between pepsi and coke.
It's not a "best guess" to get the dosage correct, which is really what matters. The rest is filler in the pill so it can be swallowed.

[ltimm]

;809137']It's not a "best guess" to get the dosage correct.

I meant what's ACTUALLY in the pill.

[2D]

Yes. They have the same active ingredient regardless. I always buy generic rather than brand name. It's way cheaper.

[ShatteredWings]

Read the rest of the post you quoted

Basically, it's a chemical break down.
There's no guessing. Any pharmaceutical company can take a pill and figure out exaclty how much of every chemical is in it.
It cna't be identical to the brand name, but the 'difference' is the pill color or shape, rather than anything in the pill.

[CaptainObvious]

A medicine's patent is up in 10 years. Once that ten years it up, generic brands get produced. The original producer doesn't tell what the formula is. So, the generic medicine producers take a 'best guess'(analyze it)as to what's in it. I'm pretty sure generic drugs are more dangerous and less effective (or TOO effective!).

...this is wrong. To get a patent, you must submit the invention - in the case of a drug, the exact formula of the chemical compound and other relevant information - to the patent office. Thus, it is simple for generic drug manufacturers to create exact chemical copies once patent protection expires, and as noted above the same chemical in the same dosage is identically effective, name brand or not.

[INFERNO]

I meant what's ACTUALLY in the pill.

There's still no random guessing about that. It's not terribly difficult for someone with the proper equipment and knowledge to figure out the chemical compounds in something and determine the compounds that are "fillers" for slowing metabolism of the pill to the active ingredients. This is done not only at the level of pharmacutical companies but in undergraduate chemistry courses (i.e. my first year of chemistry). If they don't tell what the original formula is... then what do you think they're patenting? The shape of the pill box or the amount of cotton balls in the pill box? How do you think patents in general work?

If you seriously think that "guessing" is occurring, then read any journal article where they test trial drugs and use various experimental methods to determine the chemical formulas.

[ltimm]

what you guys are saying is NOTHING what i meant. Just ignore me

[ShatteredWings]

Then what exactly did you mean?

[INFERNO]

what you guys are saying is NOTHING what i meant. Just ignore me

I'm confused as to what you meant then. If it's not the active ingredients and is not the compounds to slow metabolism and act as fillers, then why do you mean by what is in the pill? Can you please explain because I really haven't a clue.

[Camazotz]

Generic brand drugs just don't happen to have the "big label" like Tylenol or Aspirin, but the chemicals inside the pill are the same. I'd prefer brand name drugs if they weren't more expensive, but since they are, I'll just buy the generic brands.

[Wetherbubble]

by law genercs must have the same chenical mackup than the name brand. that is same active ingredians as name brand

[songboy]

I justlike witch evers cheper

[Sapphire]

The advantage of generic drugs is that you are getting the same benefits as the brand name ones at a cheaper cost.
Some may prefer to take brand name drugs though because of the "trust" that they have for the brand name.
But ultimately there is no difference in effectiveness.

[Evermore]

If I had endless money. I would worry about that. I'd get the more expensive brands whether they were better or the same just because as it's more expensive and therefore most likely, more reliable. However, nobody has endless money. So they buy the cheap stuff because it promises to work just as well and it's half the price. So who wouldn't?

[Nelson]

Either way, they do the same thing. so yes

[Scarface]

doesn't matter they are prescription they help you feel better period