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Generic medicines are copies of an
original branded medicine. When drug companies develop a new medicine they give it both a
generic name and a brand name. As an example, Panadol is a brand name of a commonly used
medicine; its generic name is Paracetamol, which is the active ingredient.
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Are generic medicines as
effective as branded?
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companies who are subject to the same tight controls as companies who make branded
products. In fact branded and generic medicines are often made by the same company. Generic medicines contain the same active ingredients are of the
same dosage form and are identical in strength to the original medicine. They are
therapeutically equivalent to their branded equivalent. This means that they work in the
same way in the body and are associated with the same risks and benefits of the original
medicine. Different generic forms of the same medicine will not differ in their safety and
clinical actions from each other or their branded equivalent. The Government employs a
team of doctors, scientists and pharmacists who check the product to ensure it has been
made to a high quality and is safe and effective. In the UK the licensing authority is the
Medicines &
Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency .
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What do generics look like?
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There are both "plain"
and "branded" generic medicines. Prescription-only generic medicines are usually
plain or unbranded, whilst over-the-counter medicines - bought from a pharmacy or other
shop - usually have a brand name.
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Why do generic medicines sometimes look
different?
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Generic medicines may differ
in their inactive ingredients – excipients -
from the equivalent brand. This can affect the colour, shape,
size and sometimes taste. This, however, is only the outward appearance and does not
affect the active ingredient. You may notice this if you take regular medicines and your
present supply looks different. Discuss any concerns with you doctor or pharmacist.
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Can the side effects differ between generic
and original medicines?
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Rarely. As the generic and
original medicine may contain different inactive ingredients - particularly preservatives,
flavours or colours - there is a rare chance that a patient may suffer an allergic
reaction to one of these ingredients that is not present in the other medicine. So a
patient could suffer a reaction to an original medicine and not the generic medicine, or
vice versa. Patient information leaflets provide valuable information on all the
ingredients in a medicine. It is therefore important to read the patient information
leaflet when starting a new medicine, and when switching from one company's medicine to
the same medicine from another company.
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Is there always a generic version of your
medicine?
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A company that first develops a
new medicine is allowed to patent it, typically for up to 20 years. This allows them a
period of exclusive supply, enabling them to recover their research and development costs.
Other manufacturers can only produce generic equivalent medicines once the patent period
of the branded company has finished. A limited number of branded products may also not
have generic equivalents because of marketing reasons, e.g. limited demand.
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What are the advantages of generic medicines?
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Generic medicines usually cost a
lot less than their branded equivalent, but are as good. The average branded medicine
costs more than four times its generic equivalent. Use of generics helps the NHS to treat
more patients for the same money and releases money for other treatments. |
