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You may have been asked when you have gone to the pharmacy to fill a prescription if you would like to try the generic version of the drug. Some people are unsure about what it is that generic drugs are exactly. If you take medications regularly, then you should know about these types of drugs in order to decide whether or not to use them.

There are new drugs that are being researched and then developed in pharmaceutical companies all the time. When a company has made a new drug that they want to bring to the market, they have to patent it and then submit it for approval with the FDA. When the company has a patent for the medication, other companies cannot manufacture the same drug and this protects the company that created the medicine against losing money on the research and development.

When the patent on the medication is nearing expiration, other pharmaceutical manufacturers can apply to the Food and Drug Administration for permission to manufacture generic versions of the medication. These are chemically the same and include all of the same active ingredients and strengths as the brand name drug. However, since the companies have not had to pay for expensive research and development on the medication, they can be sold more cheaply.

Another reason that costs are reduced when producing a generic version is that the patenting company generally markets their medication. Marketing and advertising of a new medication is very expensive. Not only are there media advertisements placed, but the companies have medical representatives who visit doctors and pharmacists in order to promote the medication and offer training.

Some people worry that because they are buying a cheaper version of the drug that it is inferior in some way. This is a major misconception about generics. A company cannot create a generic version of a drug without first having approval from the government and to do this the strength, actives, composition and safety of the medication is stringently tested.

Something else that is often misunderstood about generic drugs is that people think they may not be as potent. There are also people who think that the medications take a longer time to work in the body. These ideas are both wrong as they work in precisely the same way that the brand name drug works.

Although the medication is the same, the generic version will always look different to the brand name. This is because the law states they have to look different. The shape, size or color of the medication may be quite different from the original one, but that does not mean that they are different medications.

Generic drugs are not available for every medication, but they are available for a number of them. If you take a medication regularly and you would like to try the generic drugs, tell your pharmacist next time you go to fill the prescription. If you are still worried about using generic drugs, you can talk to your doctor more about the idea.