Generic pharmaceutical drugs are drugs that have the same clinical
effect on the body as the brand-name drug they are based upon. They
are identical in dosage, safety, effectiveness, strength, stability,
quality and usage. This similarity is possible due to the same active
ingredient and the rigorous testing that generic drugs go through
during the certification process.
Generic pharmaceutical
drugs differ from the original brand-name drug primarily in production
process and in overall cost. They do not have to repeat clinical
studies that have been already been conducted by brand-name medicines
and do not have the same upfront research costs. Additionally, generic
pharmaceuticals can be formulated in a different, more affordable
method than the brand-name drug.
Generic pharmaceutical
drugs are critical to lowering the prices and availability of crucial
medicines to consumers. Without generic pharmaceutical drugs, many
would lose access to important medicinal therapies.
