Drug is a popular way to can cure diseases or make health. There were times when medicine wasn’t as developed as today and people had to cope with illnesses by means of herbs and other gifts of the nature. Today, it has become possible to use both natural stuff and the latest discoveries and hi-tech technologies. World pharmaceutics produces drugs against all known diseases. Commonly, medicines are of two types: branded and generic.  Most of us have heard about Viagra, but barely know much about its generics. There are dozens of them both online and in the common drugstores – it sounds unbelievable but it is true. The “family” of Viagra is big. However, the price of the branded Viagra and its generics is far from being at the same level. Why so? Why do the original drugs cost much?

Pharmaceutical companies spend a much time and efforts on discovering and developing new and helpful pills. In order to protect their hard and fruitful work, producers commonly patent their brand name drugs.

Another Title of a Brand Name Drug

In the modern society, there is an alternative to a brand name drug and it is called a generic drug. Specialists can say without any doubt that this type of medication is a copy of a brand name drug – it contains the main active ingredient that plays the most important role. Also, if an ordinary person wants to notice the difference between two kinds of medicine, he or she will lose because they consist of exactly the same chemical composition of ingredients but they differ in shape, taste, color, and some other nuances that are not important in general. Furthermore, it is not so easy to introduce a generic drug on the huge market of pharmacy. It is of a paramount importance to get an approval from the special Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and just after that companies can start offering people those drugs.

When, Who and How: Main Questions Concerning a Generic Drug

The most curious question is when people can buy generic drugs. The fact is that pharmaceutical companies usually patent their products for different periods of time. They can last from 1 year up to 20 years or even more on the same drug (like it is in the case of Viagra – the drug was invented in the 50-s of the XX century and is still patented). And just when drugs that have a trade name will lose the patent, generic drugs appear. The genetic version of brand name drugs can be produced by the company that made a brand of drugs or other companies. However, there are a big variety of companies that are always cheating in the field of medicine. Such companies make copies and sell the drug cheaper.

10 Main Similarities between the Brand Drug and the Generic

  1. active ingredients (a special composition that makes the medicine function);
  2. dosage strength (a quantity of active ingredients);
  3. form of medicine (for example, a liquid, pill, etc.);
  4. safety and purity;
  5. high quality;
  6. route of administration (the method how the drug is used);
  7. similar amount of the drug delivered to the bloodstream;
  8. usage indications;
  9. strict standards of fda’s good manufacturing;
  10. bioequivalents;

 5 Factors that Will Help you to Identify the Differences:

  1. size, shape and color;
  2. name;
  3. inactive ingredients;
  4. price;
  5. pharmacies and manufacturers;

Price – What is its “Composition”?

If you have never thought over the price of a branded drug, it is time to do this and Australia Pharmacy will do it for you. So, what makes the price so high?

  1. Studies and research. The scientific development and many medical studies cost a lot because it is time-consuming and expensive. Just imagine – each version of the drug is tested on hundreds of people. Each stage of producing requires tests. There are people who agree to take the drug for free, but in most cases, there is a necessity to pay some money to each experimental. Then it is necessary to wait for a while to make sure that a new drug doesn’t cause severe consequences and side effects. A huge variety of professionals and researches can spend several years and put their efforts developing new drugs.
  2. After a drug was approved by the FDA, the company has to patent the drug which also costs money.
  3. The last option is advertisement. It is important to make the medicine recognizable and wide-spread. May be you know that a short video that lasts for 5-10 seconds costs thousands of dollars. It will take time and money to win confidence and gain popularity. These are the main and the most significant reasons why brand name drugs more expensive than generic drugs.

In contrast, generic drugs cost less because researches have already done the necessary studies to make sure that the medicine is safe and of the high quality. In addition, it is unreasonable to pay for expensive advertisement, marketing and promotion because drugs are already well-known and people can easily make them out among other medicine.

How to Make the Right Choice?

Everybody knows that when one has to come to the certain decision, he has to deeply think about all pros and cons, all reasons and all possible consequences. We can see the same situation with the choice of the medicine that will fulfill your desires and suit your needs.

First of all, it is necessary to consult your doctor and ask him for help in the case when you would like to substitute one type of drug with another one.  Probably, he will prescribe you generic medication at the start in order to save your money.

Secondly, your doctor should pay attention to your health problems and conditions, level of sensuality and previous diseases. Moreover, check whether you have a possibility to pay for brand name drugs and whether your insurance covers prescription. The last and the most important advice – not forget about your own preferences!

Take into account all similarities and differences between brand name and generic drugs and choose the best type of medicine suitable for you. You can buy both branded and generic drugs at Australia Pharmacy.