Cheap Healing: Generic Drugs

The generic drugs is a medication that is manufactured and issued without a patent. Generic drugs cannot hold a patent on the active ingredients, but they can have a patent on the formulation. Generic products were started by Al Williams in 1970 when he began a company he named Keynote Marketing.

He manufactured 20 'no name' generic drugs under an ordinary white label and sold them to grocery chains in the USA. Shortly after, the major chain stores followed suit and began introducing their own 'white label' products, which were made by various manufacturers.

When it comes to drugs, the main stipulation is that the generic has to have the same active ingredient as the original constitution. The FDA requires that generics must comply with the same bioequivalent range as the branded product regarding pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic agents. This essentially means that generics must be identical in strength, dose, method of administration, intended use, efficacy and safety.

A generic drug can only be distributed when the patent obtained for the original product has expired. When generics are available for public consumption, competition in the market leads to significantly cheaper prices for not only the generic, but for the branded product as well. In the USA, a patent usually expires after 20 years.

Generics save insurance companies and patients a lot of money. As already mentioned, this is due to stiff competition among drug producers. Because there are fewer expenses in making the generic version, companies can pass these savings onto the consumer while still making a healthy profit.

Third world and other developing countries are even able to afford generics because they are so cheap. Thailand recently imported millions of blood-thinning generic tablets at a cost of only 3 (USA) cents per pill. This included shipping from the manufacturer in India.

Generic companies are able to take advantage of any preceding marketing strategies and campaigns devised for the branded drug. This will include advertising promotions, giving away free samples, and drug presentations. There are hundreds of generic drugs that have been in use for more than 10 years.

People are still dubious about generics. Many believe they are manufactured in inferior facilities. They also claim that generics are sub-standard in comparison to the originals. Both of these are myths. The FDA has the same set of requirements for every type of drug manufacturer - generic or branded.

In fact, numerous manufacturers make both generic and branded versions of drugs. According to the FDA, half of all generics are made by brand-name companies. And yet claims are still made that generics are inferior. This cannot be so because the FDA tests generics to ensure they are as effective and work just as quickly as the original brand.

The generic drugs are manufactured in varying flavors, varying colors and they may even have a varying mix of active ingredients. This is to comply with American trademark rules that state that generics cannot look the same as branded products. However, generic drugs are required to contain the exact active ingredients to ensure the same efficacy as the brand product.