Buying generic drugs

Matthew — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 15:49:17 +0000

Generic drugs are the “no name” drugs of the pharmaceutical industry. They generally come to the market after the patent of a brand name drug expires. Generic drugs are cheaper than their brand name counterparts, because you’re not paying for brand name, or the research and development behind the original drug. In Canada and the US (and most other countries), generic drugs are required to be bioequivalent to their brand name counterpart. This means you get the same product for a fraction of the cost.

Next time you go to the drug store for over-the-counter painkillers, skip the brand names and go generic. (Generic painkillers often come in larger containers, saving you even more money.)

At first it can be a little confusing, because we’ve come to know painkillers by their trademark brand names, not their generic names. This table gives the generic name of common painkillers:

Brand Name	Generic Name
Advil, Motrin	Ibuprofen
Tylenol	Acetaminophen
Aspirin	Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA)

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Buying generic drugs