A brand name drug is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and is supplied by one company (the pharmaceutical manufacturer). The drug is protected by a patent and is marketed under the manufacturer's brand name.

Find the "Drug Details" page for your drug by following Instructions to Finding Health Information. If a generic drug is available, you will see the link "Therapeutic Equivalents" in the middle of the "Drug Details" page. Click on this link to see the generic and other therapeutically equivalent drug products for your drug.

According to the FDA, generic drugs are the same as their brand-name counterparts in active ingredients, dosage, safety, strength and performance.(6) The only noticeable differences in generics and brand-name medications may be the shape or color of the drug. Plus, generics can cost up to 80 percent less than brand-name drugs.

Not much, except for name and price. A generic drug is called by its chemical name; a manufacturer assigns a brand name. The products have the same ingredients. Standard practice and most state laws require that a generic drug be generically equivalent to its brand-name counterpart. That is, it must have the same active ingredients, strength, and dosage form - pill, liquid, or injection.

Scientific publications use generic names in preference to proprietary names. Most medical education resources do likewise (other than those provided by the pharmaceutical industry). Potential confusion with brand names is exacerbated by the fact that the same proprietary name may be used for entirely different drugs in different countries. There are too many proprietary names for us to maintain: e.g.

A:Tier 3 brand name medications that do not have a generic equivalent and are used to treat congestive heart failure, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes will be moved to Tier 2 on the formulary.(3) For a complete list of these drugs, view the complete Formulary Change Drug List (22 KB).

No. Brand-name drugs are generally given patent protection for 20 years. This provides protection for the drug company that laid out the initial costs (including research, development, and marketing expenses) to develop the new drug. However, when the patent expires, other drug companies can sell competitive generic versions, but only after they have been thoroughly tested by the manufacturer and approved by the FDA.

Yes, and it is closely regulated by the FDA. A generic will be approved for sale only after a drug is named a brand name drug's therapeutic equivalent. This means that the generic medication produces the same clinical effect and has the same safety profile as the brand name product. The Yale University Health Services (YUHS) Pharmacy uses only generic medications that are therapeutically equivalent to the brand name product.

Preferred brand drugs are on our formulary and may result in a lower cost. All preferred brand drugs have received FDA approval as safe and effective, and have been chosen by a committee of physicians and pharmacists. Members are encouraged to consider preferred alternatives as a cost-effective substitution for a non-preferred drug, pending their doctor's approval.

Brand name drugs are more expensive. In many cases, generic drugs save you money without a sacrifice in quality.

ODS recognizes that there are diseases for which there are no generic or brand alternatives. These drugs will be considered paid at the preferred brand rate. Yes.

If you are currently taking a medication that has similar active ingredients or is used to treat the same conditions as the preferred brand drugs on the Prescription product guide, it will still be discounted. You will pay the negotiated price for that drug.

When a pharmaceutical company develops a new drug, it gives the drug two names. The first, its generic name represents the chemical structure or chemical form of the drug. The generic name of a drug never changes. For example, PHENTERMINE is a generic name. The second name given to a drug is its brand name. This is the name given to the medicine by the pharmaceutical company and has nothing to do with its chemical form. For example some brand names of Phentermine are ADIPEX-P and IONAMIN.

Prescription drug manufacturers patent new drugs when they’re discovered and are called brand-name drugs and can be very expensive. After the patent runs out, a generic equivalent can be manufactured.

Both has the same active ingredient. Both are FDA approved, but the manufacturer may differ. ↑ Top Will I be charged tax on my prescription medication order? No, there is no tax on prescription medications. ↑ Top

In the United States, Merck & Co., Inc. was the original company that marketed the drug famotidine using the brand name "Pepcidâ." Thus, "Pepcid" is Merck's brand name, and Merck is the only company in the US that is allowed to use the name "Pepcid." The generic (or general) name for this drug is famotidine. After a drug's patent expires, other companies can market the drug.

Most brand-name drugs are developed under a patent that protects a drug company's investment in developing the drug. This gives the company exclusive rights to sell the drug while the patent is in effect for up to 17 years. After the patent expires, other drug companies can produce the drug. Due to the lower cost of doing business and increased competition, generic copies of the brand-name drugs are sold at lower prices.

The FDA requires that generic drugs contain the same active ingredients by conducting the same scientific testing as the brand-name drug. No. To gain Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approval, generic drugs must have the same effect in the body as their brand-name counterparts. This means that the generics must contain the same active ingredients, and be identical in strength, dosage form (tablet, solution, etc.

A generic drug is a drug which is manufactured by a company that is not the innovator. Because of this, other manufacturers are allowed to produce and sell the exact medication at a lower more competitive price. The generic drug is the exact same medication as the original brand name drug, simply made by another company. Due to strict regulations on the generic drug industry, these drugs must provide the same therapeutic effect as the brand name drug.

FDA-approved generic drugs that are rated bioequivalent (AB-Rated) to the brand drug must prove that they offer the same safety and effectiveness as the brand name prescription drug. Although some groups would suggest that certain drugs, such as mental health drugs, should not be substituted, there is no scientific or clinical evidence to suggest that the generic will not offer the same benefits as the brand drug, at a substantially lower cost to the patient.

By choosing a generic equivalent, you can save a significant amount of money. Generic equivalent medications typically cost 25-70% less than their brand name counterparts. And with the strict FDA requirements, you can be sure that there is no compromise on the quality of generic drugs. Life Pharmacy is a member of United Pharmacies which enables us to provide a wide range of brand name drugs and generic medications at discount prices.

When generic drugs are available, your prescription drug program covers only the cost of the generic. If you or your physician request the brand name when a generic is available, an additional payment is required. This additional payment represents the cost difference between the generic and brand name. Employers purchase health benefits on a yearly basis. If you or your employer made changes in your benefits, prescription copayment levels may have also changed.