Generic drug facts for kids

A generic drug is a medicine that works just like a brand-name drug. It has the exact same active ingredients. These are the parts of the medicine that make it work. Generic drugs are often much cheaper than their brand-name versions.

In some countries, like Brazil, more than 20% of all drug sales are generic.

What is a Generic Drug?

A generic drug is a copy of a medicine that was first made by another company. Imagine a popular toy that a company invented and sold for many years. After a while, other toy companies are allowed to make their own versions of that toy. Generic drugs are similar.

How are Generic Drugs Made?

When a company invents a new medicine, they get a special right called a patent. This patent means only they can sell that medicine for a certain time, usually about 20 years. This allows them to make back the money they spent on research.

Once the patent runs out, other companies can make and sell their own versions of that medicine. These new versions are called generic drugs. They must use the same active ingredients as the original.

An Example: Aspirin

A good example is Aspirin. A German company named Bayer first made Aspirin a long time ago. Its active ingredient is called acetylsalicylic acid. When the patent for Aspirin ran out, other companies could make medicines with acetylsalicylic acid. They just couldn't call it "Aspirin" because that's still Bayer's brand name. So, you might see medicines called "acetylsalicylic acid" from different companies, and these are generic versions.

Why are Generic Drugs Cheaper?

Generic drugs are usually much cheaper than brand-name drugs. This is for a few reasons:

• No Research Costs: The companies making generic drugs don't have to spend billions of dollars on research and testing. The original company already did that.
• No Marketing Costs: Generic companies don't spend as much money on advertising. Brand-name drugs often have big advertising campaigns.
• Competition: When many companies make the same generic drug, they compete with each other. This helps to lower the price.

Are Generic Drugs Safe and Effective?

Yes, generic drugs are just as safe and effective as their brand-name versions. Health authorities, like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States, make sure of this.

They check that generic drugs:

• Have the exact same active ingredients.
• Work in the same way in the body.
• Are taken in the same dose.
• Are just as strong and pure.

This means you can trust that a generic drug will work the same way as the more expensive brand-name one.