Collect information about generic medicines and discuss them in the class.
Answers
Answer:-
I'll try to explain this in very simple terms to make the concept of generic medicine crystal clear. I will compare the generic drugs with the brand drugs for a better picture and understanding.
Lets see what are the similarities between a generic and a brand name drug.
They contain the same active ingredients. Those are chemical substances which makes the medicine work.
They have the same dosage strength. This means that 40mg of drug either generic or branded medicine will work the same for you.
They are usually in the same dosage form. Example- Paracetamol and Crocin both are available in the form of tablets.
They have the same route of drug administration i.e. PCM (paracetamol) and Crocin are taken orally.
Now, let's look at the differences they have.
They look different. They come in different shapes, sizes and even colour can be different.
They might have different inactive ingredients.
A drug usually has both active and inactive drug ingredients. Some people may be sensitive to those inactive ingredients. For example, some of them can show reaction because of certain dyes present in the medicine.
Generic drugs vary by manufacturers. So different pharmacies have different varieties of generic drug, or even the same pharmacy may change the generic supplies.
Generic drugs cost less than those of brand name drugs.
Now, let us look over the most frequently asked questions.
Why does branded medicines cost more than generic ones?
It takes several years, expensive scientific development and clinical trials to get a certain medicine approved. These research and development costs along with marketing costs, culminates into higher prices we pay for the branded medicines.
On the other hand, generic drugs have lesser development and research costs since the manufacturer has already done many studies to ensure the drug is safe. So these savings are passed on to the consumer and hence they cost less.
Why doesn't my doctor automatically prescribe generic drugs?
Not all medicines can have a generic form available.
The doctor might not be aware of the recently approved generics.
Opinions different about medications with experiences of different patients.
Patient's personal preferences, medical history and the condition of the patient also plays a role in this.
Is the branded medicine or the generic medicine the best option?
The answer for this depends on the patient himself. You should get in touch with your doctor and form a combined opinion considering:
Whether you'll be able to afford the treatment using branded medicines or not.
Concluding this, I would like to say that it's important that we consult our doctors before deciding if the generic drug is right for us or not.