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7 Reasons Why Generics Are Equal

Posted by Jerry De Luca on Tuesday, July 31, 2012




Some people are unsure whether generic drugs are truly the equal of the more expensive brand-name drugs. Here are 7 reasons why you can be confident they are. To be approved by the FDA, the generic must:

1) Have the same active ingredient as the brand.

2) Have the exact same strength.

3) The dosage form must be identical – tablet, pill, capsule, drink, etc.

4) The medication route must be exactly the same. This is the precise way the drug is introduced into the body: orally, inhaled, directly into the blood stream, etc.

5) The labeling of the drugs must be the same.

6) Once administered, the absorption rate of the generic must be fairly similar to the brand-name.

7) The manufacturers of generic drugs are required to meet the same standards for purity and quality as the brand-name manufacturers. However, the inactive ingredients need not be the same.

Note: For certain types of anti-seizure medications and blood thinners, either type will work, but switching from one to the other may cause complications. 

Vinod P. Shah, Ph.D., “Demystifying Generics”, Consumer Reports on Health, August 2012

Photo: Wendy (flickr)
       


Jerry De Luca is a Christian freelance writer who loves perusing dozens of interesting and informative publications. When he finds any useful info he summarizes it, taking the main points, and creates a (hopefully) helpful blog post.