Posted on November 07, 2023

What is the difference between a generic and a branded drug, why the price difference?

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A generic drug is a medication given to a group of a similar drug say Atorvastatin or paracetamol while a branded drug is a medication developed and manufactured by a pharmaceutical company, marketed under a unique trade name. For instance;

Generic name: Paracetamol

Brand name: Panadol by manufacturing company called GlaxoSmithKline. Other brands Cetamol, manufacturing company called Regal pharmaceuticals etc.

A generic drug having different brand names does not mean that one brand is necessarily better than the other or the brand is better than the generic. A generic drug is first studied and approved by FDA/NDA then the rest of the brands follow.

Basically, the reasons to why branded drugs are more expensive comes from the extra additions made by the manufacturing company forexample;

The packages,

The advertisement,

The trademark/manufacturing name.

The quality of the tablet formulation in the aspect of coating, coloring, sizes and scored tablets.

Generic drugs are left cheaper because they do not entirely invest in those above. So, you ought to know that aside the above listed, the dosage and use are the same as the branded drugs. Most doctors will prescribe generic names for purposes of making sure you get drugs because if they used a brand name it might be hard to get that exact brand, so they leave it open to your pharmacist to choose from what is available.

Should you have a query with any of the two, either generic or branded drugs, do not hesitate to consult your pharmacist for they are knowledgeable to dispense rightly.