Branded versus generic medicines – Which one to prescribe?

Branded versus generic medicines – Which one to prescribe?

– QualPharma – July 2018A generic drug is a pharmaceutical drug that is equivalent to a brand-name product in dosage, strength, route of administration, quality, performance, and intended use, but does not carry the brand name. The generic drug has the same active pharmaceutical ingredi-ent (API) as the original, but may differ in characteristics such as manufacturing process, formulation, excipients, colour, taste, and packaging.

According to WHO, “A generic drug is a pharmaceutical product, usually intend-ed to be interchangeable with an innova-tor product that is manufactured without a license from the innovator company and marketed after the expiry date of the patent or other exclusive rights”.