Brand-name Drugs, Generic Drugs, And Illegal Prescription Drugs
By www.menhealthonline.biz
If you've thought about buying prescription drugs on the internet you may have found the whole experience rather confusing. Here are some questions you might have wondered about.
- Are generic drugs as good as brand-names?
- Are drug copies such as "generic viagra" safe to use?
- Does it matter if a drug is not "FDA approved"?
- Are you breaking US law if you buy non-FDA-approved drugs on the internet?
These are just some of the questions many people have about online pharmacies and online drugs. The purpose of this article is to answer some of these questions
1. What is a Generic Drug?
In the US and many other countries, a "generic" drug is a copy of a brand-name drug. It has identical active ingredients as the brand-name version, and so it is the same as the brand-name version in dosage, safety, strength, quality, performance, and intended use.
A generic version of a brand-name drug is not just similar to its brand-name counterpart. It is identical in all its important characteristics. It must not look like the brand-name version, and it may have a different flavor. But the amount of important active ingredients is the same,and therefore it has the same therapeutic characteristics as its brand-name counterpart.
2. Does every Brand-Name Drug have a Generic Counterpart?
No, every brand-name drug does not have a generic counterpart. This is especially the case with newer drugs such as Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra. These brand-name formulations are patent-protected for 20 years from the date of the submission of the patent. That means that no other drug company can introduce a "generic" version of any of these drugs while its patent is in effect. This allows the original developer of the brand-name drug to recover research and development costs.
When the patent for a specific drug expires, other companies -- including the original developer of the brand-name drug -- can apply to the FDA to sell generic versions.
This also explains why legitimate generic drugs are cheaper than their brand-name counterparts. A generic manufacturer does not have to recover research and development costs and can therefore sell them for less. This also has a tendency to drive down the price of the brand-name version as well.
3. Do Generic Drugs have to be FDA-Approved?
Yes, all prescription drugs, including all generic drugs must be FDA approved. In order to be sold to the public, generic drugs must pass the same FDA inspections as their
