Man is imperfect, and from time to time various diseases begin to overcome us. Then drugs come to the rescue. However, not all medicines are easy to obtain due to their high cost. Science does not stand still, humanity is looking for ways out of any situation. One of the inventions that helps not to refuse treatment due to the high cost of the drug is generics.
What is generic
This term is taken from English and sounds in Russian as "generic", or "generic". A generic drug is a drug that can replace an innovative drug for its intended purpose, it does not have a patent and goes on sale when the license has expired. A generic drug has a composition that differs from the original drug in both quantitative and qualitative aspects (additional components).
Before a new drug is launched on the market, it must pass trials and mandatory registration. It can be valid from 10 to 25 years. This drug can only be sold by a company that has the rights to it, that is, a patent. Nobody else canrelease this drug. If the license has not expired, and someone has released the same drug, it is considered illegal. When the license for a medicinal product ends, the main active substance can be used by any company for the manufacture of its new drug. Generic is the same drug that is released after the expiration of the license. There are several conditions that manufacturers must comply with when releasing such substitutes for expensive drugs.
Requirements for generics
Despite the fact that these are not original drugs, they also have their own requirements:
- The ratio of active pharmaceutical ingredients in the preparation, their qualitative and quantitative indicators must be observed.
- It is necessary that the generic product meets the requirements of established standards.
- It must be produced under Good Manufacturing Practices.
- Generic should be equivalent to the original in terms of extent and absorption rate.
Generic drugs can be produced by different companies. Often the same drug has several analogues, but only released by different companies. Therefore, the composition, and therefore, their effectiveness may differ. Not all manufacturers comply with the conditions for the release of generics. As a result, copies and fakes appear. What is the difference between them?
Copy or Fake?
Some people think that these two concepts are absolutely identical, but they are not. Copies of medicinal products are made without license rights. It can be compared to pirated copiesvideos. Other enterprises can start producing such drugs without waiting for the license of the main manufacturer to expire, without even changing the name.
Fake on the market is a very frequent visitor. It is cheaper than the main drug, since the active substance has been replaced by a cheaper one. Accordingly, the effectiveness of such drugs is highly questionable. There is a high risk of complications and exacerbations of the disease. The production of such funds is criminally punishable. To avoid buying fakes, you should buy medicines only in specialized pharmacies that are licensed and work directly with manufacturers.
From the above it is clear that a generic is not a copy or a fake. What is the difference between generic and original?
Generic and original
The difference between an original drug and a generic drug lies in the process of its creation. You can also find some more differences.
- Generic is a drug that does not undergo comparative studies with the original.
- Only a compliance check is carried out for the speed and degree of absorption into the body of the generic in comparison with the original.
- No drug safety study.
- Generic differs in the composition of excipients.
Recently, the manufacturing companies themselves, without renewing the patent, produce generic drugs. Much less money is spent in their production. In this casepositive is the fact that generics and original drugs are produced on the same equipment and under the control of the manufacturing company.
A few words about the cost of generics
The question arises - why are generics cheaper than original drugs? Analogue drugs do have a lower price compared to the original. For the majority of the population, this factor plays an important role when choosing a drug. Here are some points that contribute to the low price of generics.
The manufacturer does not need to spend money on:
- Marketing research.
- Advertising.
- Laboratory studies.
- The original drug may have, in addition to the active ingredient, auxiliary components. In generics, they may be absent.
For example, the drug "Teraflu" for lowering the temperature has an additional flavor, dye, and so on, and its analogue "Paracetamol" does not have any expensive components. For Theraflu, Paracetamol is a generic.
Efficiency of generics
If the manufacturer responsibly approaches the production of analogues of expensive drugs, then in terms of efficiency they are practically not inferior to the original drugs. In their composition, they have the same active ingredient. Most drug manufacturers are also engaged in the production of generics along the way.
To obtain permission for the sale of a particular analogue, the manufacturer mustto prove the bioequivalence of a generic in relation to an expensive analogue.
Manufacturers invest some of their profits in research activities to improve the quality, safety and efficacy of drugs. This suggests that quality generics can be as effective and safe as their counterparts.
Let's choose an analog to the original
If we consider generic drugs, we can see that almost every drug has a cheaper counterpart. Very often, when prescribing a long-term treatment, and even including several drugs, the patient has no choice but to purchase a non-original drug.
Cheap generics can be of great help in the treatment of many diseases. Why buy expensive Panadol when you can buy cheap Paracetamol? The effect will be almost the same.
Studying the question of what generic drugs exist, the list can be quite long, but it is very important to compare the cost of these drugs for clarity. Sometimes, going to the pharmacy, we follow the lead of the pharmacist and buy expensive medicine. And if you know what you can replace it with, then in some cases you won’t have to shell out extra money.
Generic drugs: table
The information in the table about cheaper drug analogues does not call for replacing the original drug with a generic drug in every case. In some cases this is not justified. Questions like this are better.always discuss with your doctor.
| Original drug | Price in rubles | Generic | Price in rubles |
| "Diflucan" | 800 | "Fluconazole" | 40 |
| "Mezim" | 300 | "Pancreatin" | 30 |
| "Imodium" | 300 | "Loperamide" | 20 |
| "No-shpa" | 150 | "Drotaverine" | 30 |
| "Panadol" | 50 | "Paracetamol" | 10 |
| "Zovirax" | 250 | "Aciclovir" | 30 |
| "Lazolvan" | 320 | "Ambroxol" | 50 |
| "Aspirin Upsa" | 130 | "Acetylsalicylic acid" | 10 |
| "Nazivin" | 130 | "Xylene" | 25 |
| "Nurofen" | 130 | "Ibuprofen" | 20 |
| "Voltaren" | 300 | "Diclofenac" | 50 |
| "Jodomarin" | 200 | "Potassium iodide" | 90 |
| "Nootropil" | 250 | "Piracetam" | 80 |
This is not a complete list of analogues of original drugs, but it can becontinue almost indefinitely. Only based on this information, we can conclude that almost all drugs have generic analogues.
How to choose a generic
Before you go to the pharmacy for a cheaper medicine, you need to have at least some information about it. Knowing what a generic is, you can, after consulting with a doctor, choose the most suitable option. A few tips for those who decide to use generics.
- Purchase medicines in pharmacies that have licenses and competent pharmacists. They will give you the right advice, and the risk that you buy a fake will be minimal.
- There should be instructions in the packaging along with the medicine. The paper must be of high quality, the font must be clear, the address data of the manufacturer must be indicated with contact numbers.
- Pay attention to the manufacturer and country of origin.
- For any disease, when purchasing a drug that is an analogue of the one prescribed by a doctor, it is better to consult a specialist again. Your he alth may depend on it.
If you still decide to use a generic, carefully study the paragraph above - "Generic drugs: table".
Advantages of cheaper analogues
Let's consider the positive aspects of generics, and there are many of them. This is:
- Low prices.
- They provide an opportunity to be treated and low-income segments of the population.
- Modern genericsproduce good quality.
- They expand the treatment options for both doctor and patient. These drugs are not inferior in effectiveness to the original ones, if you do not come across a fake.
Disadvantages of generics
In addition to the positive aspects, there are also negative ones that must be taken into account if you decide to replace the original drug with a generic one.
- There is a possibility that the active substance and excipients of the generic drug may be produced on poor equipment, because of this, their quality is lost.
- The side effects of generic drugs are hardly studied.
- Poor quality analogue may cause an allergic reaction and not have a good therapeutic effect.
Summing up, we can conclude: when buying generic drugs, the list of which is very large, be very careful, and for the treatment of serious diseases it is better to use original drugs. Take care of your he alth.
