BUY DIAZEPAM - GENERICS DRUGS
"Since generic drugs generally sell for less than
brand name drugs, many people falsely believe that generics
must be inferior to brand-name products. Generic drugs
contain exactly the same active ingredients as the brand-name
drugs and are just as safe and effective."
Doug Sporn, Director
FDA Office of Generic Drugs
Generic Drugs, Are They As Good as Brand-Names?
Medical Author: Melissa Stoppler, M.D.
Medical Editor: Barbara K. Hecht, Ph.D.
"Almost half of all prescriptions
today in the US are filled with generic drugs. Still,
I am often asked if generic drugs are really as good
as their brand-name counterparts. After all, goes the
reasoning, don’t you get what you pay for?
Generic drugs are copies of brand-name
drugs that have exactly the same dosage, intended use,
effects, side effects, route of administration, risks,
safety, and strength as the original drug. In other
words, their pharmacological effects are exactly the
same as those of their brand-name counterparts.
Many people become concerned because
generic drugs are often substantially cheaper than the
brand-name versions. They wonder if the quality and
effectiveness have been compromised to make the less
expensive products. The FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)
requires that generic drugs be as safe and effective
as brand-name drugs.
Actually, generic drugs are only cheaper
because the manufacturers have not had the expenses
of developing and marketing a new drug. When a company
brings a new drug onto the market, the firm has already
spent substantial money on research, development, marketing
and promotion of the drug. A patent is granted that
gives the company that developed the drug an exclusive
right to sell the drug as long as the patent is in effect.
As the patent nears expiration, manufacturers
can apply to the FDA for permission to make and sell
generic versions of the drug. Without the startup costs
for development of the drug, other companies can afford
to make and sell it more cheaply. When multiple companies
begin producing and selling a drug, the competition
among them can also drive the price down even further.
So there’s no truth in the myths
that generic drugs are manufactured in poorer-quality
facilities or are inferior in quality to brand-name
drugs. The FDA applies the same standards for all drug
manufacturing facilities, and many companies manufacture
both brand-name and generic drugs. In fact, the FDA
estimates that 50% of generic drug production is by
brand-name companies.
Another common misbelief is that generic
drugs take longer to work. The FDA requires that generic
drugs work as fast and as effectively as the original
brand-name products.
Sometimes, generic versions of a drug
have different colors, flavors, or combinations of inactive
ingredients than the original medications. Trademark
laws in the United States do not allow the generic drugs
to look exactly like the brand-name preparation, but
the active ingredients must be the same in both preparations,
ensuring that both have the same medicinal effects.
Resource: Office of Generic
Drugs, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, U.S.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 5600 Fishers Lane,
Rockville MD 20857.
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