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Information About Generic Drugs
What Are Generic Drugs? When a new drug is developed, it is given a name that indicates the chemical make-up of that drug. This is called its generic or chemical name. The new drug is also given a brand name (also known as proprietary name) for marketing purposes. The brand name is usually easier to say and remember than the chemical name (also known as nonproprietary name). Patients and Doctors will come to know the new drug by this brand name. (A well-known example of a brand name drug is Prozac - its generic or chemical name is fluoxetine hydrochloride). Generic medicines are copies of brand name medicines with the same active ingredients. Therefore, equivalent brand name and generic medicines have the same chemical name and the same therapeutic effect. Browse Generic Drugs on Medstore International Safety & Quality of Generic Drugs The approval process for generic drugs is rigorous. A company that manufactures a generic drug needs to prove that it is as effective and safe as its brand name counterpart. The company must show that their generic product has the same effect in the body and is manufactured to the same high standards before it can be registered and therefore sold to patients. The safety and quality of all generic products available on this site are without question. All have been through rigorous approval processes and are widely used. It is a common perception that more expensive equals better quality. In the case of drugs however, this is not necessarily true! When a brand name drug has a generic competitor this simply means that the brand name product has been around long enough for its patent to expire which then allows copy products ("generics") to be made. Most often generics will be the discount prescription drugs found in these markets, and almost always they will be the cheapest drugs when compared to their brand name counterparts. Generic pharmaceuticals are only allowed to enter the market, after they have been proven to be the same as their brand name counterparts in terms of dosage, safety, strength, how they are taken, quality, performance and intended use. These are the same requirements that exist in most developed nations. In these countries the quality standards required for the cheapest drugs (usually generics) are as high as they are for the most expensive drugs (usually brand name products). Some Technical Facts About The Generic Medicine Approval Process Generic medicines must show that they:
Browse Generic Drugs on Medstore International International Nonproprietary Names An 'International Nonproprietary Name' (INN) is the official chemical name (nonproprietary name) given to a pharmaceutical substance as designated by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The proprietary name is the brand name. The intention of an INN is to ensure there is a standard name for each chemical substance across the world. Occasionally, the United States and/or Britain may designate their own nonproprietary name for a particular substance, rather than adhering to the INN. In such instances, the nonproprietary name may be referred to as a 'United States Adopted Name' (USAN) or as a 'British Approved Name' (BAN). Sometimes the USAN or the BAN can differ from the INN. This is the case with the nonproprietary name for the common asthma product; Ventolin. The INN and the BAN for Ventolin is salbutamol, while the USAN is albuterol. Another example is the commonly used diuretic Lasix. The INN and the USAN is furosemide, while frusemide is the nonproprietary name that the British approved. Browse Generic Drugs on Medstore International Switching to Generics Many brand name drugs have generic equivalents available. In some countries over half of all prescriptions filled are for generic medicines. This is expected to increase over the next decade. This does not mean that all of these generic medicines will be supplied on generic prescriptions because in some countries pharmacists are allowed to substitute a generic medicine on prescriptions even though a brand name product may have initially been prescribed. However usually this is only done when the Doctor approves it. The figures do indicate that generic medicines are widely accepted by medical professionals and patients. Many insurance plans also encourage patients to accept generic medicines over their brand name counterparts whenever it's medically safe. This level of use demonstrates the widespread acceptance of generic medicines as discount prescription drug alternatives so long as the quality is assured. There are a small number of brand name drugs with which great care should be taken when substituting generic pharmaceuticals. These are drugs that have what is termed a 'narrow therapeutic index'. This means that for these drugs a small variation in dose can cause problems, such as too little effectiveness or too many side effects. In these few cases, a patient should only switch after consulting with their doctor and then do so only with his or her approval and close supervision. Click here for a list of drugs with a narrow therapeutic index Browse Generic Drugs on Medstore International Is the Appearance of Generic Medicines different? While the active ingredients in generic pharmaceuticals are the same as the active ingredients in their brand name counterparts, there may be differences in their appearance. (For example, the shape or the color of a tablet.) Sometimes different non-active ingredients may be used to produce the final product. (For example, the non-active base in creams or diluents in nasal sprays.) However, the active ingredients, which give a drug its intended effect, are the same in generic pharmaceuticals as their brand name counterparts. None of these differences should alter the clinical effect of any approved generic medicine. Browse Generic Drugs on Medstore International Why Are Generic Medicines Cheap Drugs? Generic medicines are usually less expensive than their brand name equivalents. This is because the investment in discovering them is not required, and because they are essentially copy products, the investment in developing them is less intensive. Original brand name drugs usually have 20 years patent protection from initial discovery of the molecule before copy generic medicines can be marketed along side them. However research has shown that after discovery the average drug takes approximately 12 years to develop and costs several hundred million dollars from initial discovery to public release. This may mean that the original manufacturer has only a few short years of exclusivity in the market before the copy medicines are introduced. Manufacturers of brand name products must therefore charge a price that will recoup the research and development costs of their new drug when it finally reaches the market. Following approval to sell a new drug, there are additional large costs required to promote the product and educate medical professionals in its use. The costs associated with the research, development and marketing of new drugs are the main reasons for the price differences between brand name drugs and the generic drugs that follow when their patents have expired. Without the need for the large initial investments, a company which manufactures generic products can manufacture copies of brand name drugs and provide these as comparatively cheap drugs for patients. Browse Generic Drugs on Medstore International Savings From Discount Generic Drugs Generic medicines are widely considered to be cheap drugs when compared to their brand name equivalents. The statistics support this view! In the US in 2000, the volume of prescriptions filled with cheap drugs ("generics") was 42%. Yet this volume represented only 8% of the total dollar value of the drugs dispensed that year. These figures demonstrate powerfully the savings possible when health professionals and patients choose to use generic medicines. Put in individual terms the average price of a prescription for a generic drug was $19.33 while the average price of a brand name drug was $65.29 in the US in 2000. This represents significant savings at a personal level. Using generic discount drugs therefore has the potential to save individuals hundreds of dollars each year, and yet provide exactly the same medical benefits received from their brand name equivalents. Browse Generic Drugs on Medstore International Summary A generic prescription drug is usually a discount prescription drug. However this does not mean it is a lower quality product so long as it is sourced from a country that has strong regulations controlling the standards that generic pharmaceuticals must meet in order to be available there. Doctors and pharmacists are often encouraged to prescribe and dispense generic pharmaceuticals by those funding drug purchases (governments, health funds). If your doctor has consented to your switching to a generic drug, or has prescribed one for the first time, and you purchase it through Medstore International, you can expect to receive the same clinical effect as with its brand name counterpart, but for a considerably reduced cost. Please refer to our Question and Answer section for answers to further questions you may have, or contact us by one of the following: Call Toll-Free: 1-866-755-1782 or 1-800-420-8226 Browse Generic Drugs on Medstore International
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