What are generic medicines?

General drugs are medicines with active ingredients identical to patented branded drugs. Drug companies can produce generic medicines after patents, in regions where no patent has been registered, and if the patent can be invalid. In general, generic drugs are much cheaper than branded drugs, and consumers are often recommended to consider the use of generic drugs for savings. Some insurance companies refuse to cover brand drugs if generic versions are available, in the logic that medicines are identical and the insurer wants to save money. The drug is considered "bioequivalent", which means it is basically the same as the branded version. Generic labeling and advertising are often very similar advertising in branded drugs, compiling about loyalty to customers, although advertising that has lost too close to the original may be a reason for the court.

Generics are cheaper than branded drugs, as a generic manufacturer does not have to go through a costly and lengthy drug research process, discovery and testing. The drug does not have to be tested before release in the open market because it is considered the same and the competition also tends to be wild, so manufacturers lower costs to compete with each other. As a result, generic medicines are often available in a fraction of the cost of branded products, many of which are sold at high logic costs that a drug developer must recover their costs.

In fact, generic drugs are not always identical to their brand counterparts. Inactive ingredients may vary and sometimes the fineness in formulation causes the drug to act slightly differently. Some patient advocates claim that patients and doctors should choose a medicine that works best for the patient rather than the cheapest medicine, and that insurance contracts that force patients to buy generic drugs reduce the freedom of choice.

Companies tend to stimulate this view and plaster medical journals with ads on their products to encourage doctors to write a brand name on the prescription pad rather than general. The differences between branded and generic drugs are likely to lie somewhere in the middle: Many generic drugs are truly identical and perfectly safe to use as replacements for the brand name versions, while in other cases there may be legitimate reasons for a brand name specifically.