The option of choice is usually a pretty good thing, think: deciding what to have for dinner, what to wear to work, what tv show to watch in our spare time. When it comes to healthcare, however, the idea of having choices (and having to make them) can be extremely intimidating. Because unlike dinner, clothes, or entertainment, there can be real and potentially dire medical consequences depending on what we choose. One of the most common questions surrounding healthcare choices is generic vs. brand name medications and whether there’s a meaningful difference between the two.
What is a generic medication?
Generic drugs are medications that have intentionally been created to provide the same clinical purpose and function as an existing medication that’s already on the market. If a medication is presented as a generic, that means it is virtually identical in purpose and function of its name brand counterpart.
Here’s what you can expect to be the same between a brand name drug and one that’s been labeled as a generic option:
- Intended use case
- Active ingredients
- Route of administration (how it’s taken)
- Dosage form and strength
- Quality and efficacy
- Manufacturing procedures
- Safety requirements
- Risks and side effects
Do all brand name medications have a generic equivalent?
No, not all medications have a generic version. Generic drugs are only possible once the patent of the name brand drug has expired. These patents typically last 20 years from the date of filing and can be challenging to renew. Once pharmaceutical patents have lapsed, other drug manufacturers are allowed to produce those medications.
However, brandname drugs are protected by trademark laws as well, and these can be extended indefinitely. Therefore, while an expired patent allows for the drug to be made by others, the name and appearance of a drug cannot be used and generics must distinguish themselves.
How are generic medications different from brand-name drugs?
There’s rigorous testing and requirements a medication must pass to be deemed a generic version of a drug. The medication’s purpose and performance must be identical to that of its name-brand counterpart. As such, differences between generic and brand name drugs are mostly surface-level and have zero impact on the medication’s efficacy.
Appearance
One of the most noticeable differences between a generic and a brand name drug is how it looks. This is due to the trademark laws surrounding brand name drugs, and why generics have differences in shape, color, or markings to the brand name versions.
Name
Generic drugs are typically named after the active ingredient that gives the medication its effectiveness. For example: Suboxone is the brand name of a drug and its active ingredients are buprenorphine and naloxone. The non-proprietary name for the generic version of suboxone is simply referred to as “buprenorphine/naloxone”. There are many free resources available that show what the generic version of medications are called.
Inactive ingredients
Generic drugs may have slightly different components than name brand ones, but these differences have virtually no effect on the actual potency or effectiveness of a medication. Inactive ingredients apply to things like flavors, fillers (to increase the size of a pill for easier handling), and coatings.
Cost
The price difference between generic and brand name drugs is the main reason why generics are higher sought after. Generics are on average 80-85% cheaper than the brand name versions.
Why are generic medications so much cheaper than brand-name medications?
The main driver of pharmaceutical costs are research and development. Since the most expensive and time-intesive portion of creating a new drug has already been done by the initial patent-holders, manufacturers of generic drugs have much lower costs of production and are able to offer the same medicine at a substantiation discount.
Additionally, the price of generic drugs can be even more competitive if there are multiple manufacturers of that drug, which can drive prices even lower. Once the patent for a pharmaceutical, anyone can produce that drug and it’s possible that multiple entities can do so at the same time.
Are brand name medications better than generics?
No, brand name drugs are not inherently any more effective or higher in quality than the generic version. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has strict standards for manufacturing, drug safety, and performance that a drug must meet in order for this generic medicine to be made available.
The FDA’s Generic Drugs Program limits how much variation is permissible for a medication to successfully be approved as a generic. Therefore you can rest assured that any medication designated as a generic is just as potent and effective as the name brand version. The FDA has a full list of all authorized generic drugs, which includes the date each medication was authorized to be sold on the market.
If you or a loved one are in search of affordable medications for mental health, talk to a provider today to learn about generic options that are available.