Definitions

• Prescriptions may be available as branded medications or generic. The difference is that the brand names have been researched by a specific pharmaceutical company that holds a patent on the medication, preventing it from being sold by other companies. Eventually, the drug enters into the public domain and can be copied by other manufacturers. They cannot use the same brand name as the original but sell it as the generic chemical version.
  
  

Price

• The most essential difference between a brand name and generic drug is cost. A brand name may cost up to three times as much as the generic version. This is primarily because the generic version does not have to engage in the years of expensive research done by the original manufacturer, nor is advertising needed to introduce the product. In addition, the more companies that produce the medication, the more competitive market forces tend to lower the price.
  
  

Ingredients

• The Food and Drug Administration requires generic drugs to contain the same active ingredients as the original branded version. However, slight differences may occur based on the new manufacturer's choice of inactive additives or fillers. For example, the way a drug is released in the system or the pill's shape may differ.
  
  

Purchase

• If a physician writes a prescription for a brand name drug, it is possible to substitute the generic version provided the prescription does not specify "no substitution." Often, the pharmacist will suggest the generic alternative, or the patient can ask if a generic exists. Not every branded drug has a generic version.
  
  

Research

• Brand name drugs have been researched for safety, side effects and efficacy. Since generics are manufactured using the same basic formula, they do not undergo the same studies.
  
  

Considerations

• Some physicians and patients believe that some generic drugs do not perform as well as the original brand name medications. For the most part, they base their opinions on the different additives. If you note a problem or lack of efficacy with a generic drug, you may want to try another generic version, if it exists, or insist on the branded version. Depending on your health insurance, you might pay a higher copay, or you may have to pay for the entire prescription.
  
  

FDA Feedback

• For more information on prescription drugs related to use and safety, the FDA operates a consumer site (see Resources). You can also use this site to report problems that you note with any prescription drug--brand name or generic--or an over-the-counter medication.