Generic Drug
Prescription drugs that have the same active-ingredient formula as a brand-name drug.
♦ Generic drugs usually cost less than brand name drugs.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rates these drugs to be as safe and effective as brand-name drugs.
♦ Not all pharmacologists agree that generics are identical to brands.
While generics may have all the same active-ingredients the content of the inactive ingredients are usually different.
Some pharmacologists have voiced concerns that some generics can be released into the bloodstream differently from how it acts in the brand-name version.
Lipitor is an example of a brand-name drug for the treatment of high cholesterol. Its patent protection ended November 30, 2011. A generic version called Atorvastatin quickly became available, and the cost dropped dramatically.
Related content
• What is a generic ?
• Who makes generics ?
