Brand Vs. Generic. Is Brand Name Always Better?
Q. Aren’t brand name drugs better quality than generic drugs? Why else would they be more expensive?
A. A brand name drug (for example, Lipitor) is one that is manufactured by the company that originally created the product. A generic drug (for example, Novo-atorvastatin) is one that is manufactured to match the original product. Both drugs have the same chemical name: “atorvastatin”, but one is a “copy” of the original, so they have different trade names.
Unlike the store brand version of your favourite soda, a generic medication must match the brand name medication in almost every way. The Canadian and U.S. Governments require that brand and generic match in the following ways: They must have the same strength of the active drug contained within (for example, atorvastatin 40 milligrams); and just as importantly, the brand name drug and the generic drug must act identically within your body. This is called "bioequivalence".
For this reason, if there was any difference between the generic medication and the brand name medication, the generic would not have been approved for use. The only real difference is how the products look (different colour, shape) and how much they cost.
So, why is it that generic medications are usually much less expensive than their brand name counterparts? This is because the brand name manufacturer has spent almost 1 billion dollars in most cases, to develop and produce the medication. It is extremely expensive to create a unique chemical (a drug) and research it. This is a cost that the generic manufacturer usually doesn’t have to deal with. So, its product is much less expensive.
But, how can this be fair? The generic manufacturer must always have the advantage in this seemingly parasitic relationship. Well, not exactly. This is because when a unique drug is produced, the brand name manufacturer files for a patent that protects it from competition from other manufacturers. However, this patent eventually expires, and this is when generic companies jump in for “the kill”. This is why new drugs will not have generic counterparts for a number of years, and so are more expensive in their youth.
In summary, if you need to make a choice between a brand and a generic medication, and cost is a factor (when is it not!), save yourself some money and go generic.
For more information about generic medications and generic equivalents of your brand name medication... Ask Your Pharmacist!
