We have all used drugs or medications at some time in our lives. Some of us must use them on a daily basis to stay alive. Some drugs are must be prescribed by healthcare providers, while others can be purchased over the counter. In a question and answer format, this article will highlight on the therapeutic or legally intended use of drugs.

A drug must be investigated or tested and retested before marketed, and retains three different names in the process: 1). the chemical name; 2) the generic or nonproprietary name and 3) the trade, brand or proprietary name. Chemical names of drugs represent the exact description of the drug’s chemical composition. These names are usually meaningful only to the Chemist, and of little importance to the regular consumer. A generic name of a drug is assigned by the manufacturer with the US Adopted Name (USAN) council of the USP. Generic names are simpler than chemical names and derived from the chemical name itself. Trade or brand names of drugs are copyrighted and given by the company selling the drug. This means other companies can not sell a copyrighted drug by that name. Trade or brand names are usually proper nouns with capitalized first letters.

What is a drug? A drug (medication) is defined as any substance, except food that alters one of more body functions, such as digestive, circulatory, neurological, and other body functions. A drug passes through rigorous investigational stages to be accepted and marketed in the United States.

1. What are generic drugs? A generic drug is a copy that is the same as a brand-name drug in dosage, safety, strength, how it is taken, quality, performance and intended use.
2. Are generic drugs as safe as brand-name drugs? Yes. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) require that all drugs be safe and effective. Manufacturers of generic drugs are required to use the same active ingredients (the part of the drug that does the job); this makes the generic name drug to work the same way in the body. They also have the same risks and benefits as their brand-name counterparts.
3. Are generic drugs as strong as brand-name drugs? Yes. FDA requires generic drugs to have the same quality, strength, purity and stability as brand-name drugs.
4. Do generic drugs take longer to work in the body? No. Generic drugs work in the same way and in the same amount of time as brand-name drugs.
5. Why are generic drugs less expensive? Generic drugs are less expensive because generic manufacturers don’t have the investment costs of the developer of a new drug. New drugs are developed under patent protection. The patent protects the investment-including research, development, marketing, and promotion-by giving the company the sole right to sell the drug while it is in effect. As patents near expiration, manufacturers can apply to the FDA to sell generic versions. Because those manufacturers don’t have the same development costs, they can sell their product at substantial discounts. Also, once generic drugs are approved, there is greater competition, which keeps the price down. Today, almost half of all prescriptions are filled with generic drugs.
6. Are brand-name drugs made in more modern facilities than generic drugs? No. Both brand-name and generic drug facilities must meet the same standards of good manufacturing practices. FDA won’t permit drugs to be made in substandard facilities. FDA conducts about 3,500 inspections a year to ensure standards are met. Generic firms have facilities comparable to those of brand-name firms. In fact, brand-name firms are linked to an estimated 50 percent of generic drug production. They frequently make copies of their own or other brand-name drugs but sell them without the brand name.
7. Why do brand-name drugs and generic drugs look different if they have the same active ingredients? Trademark laws in America do not allow a generic drug to look exactly like the brand-name drug. However, a generic drug must have the same active ingredient. Colors, flavors, and certain other inactive ingredients may be different.
8. Does every brand-name drug have a generic counterpart? No. Brand-name drugs are generally given patent protection for several years from the date of submission of the patent. This provides protection for the innovator who made the initial costs (including research, development, and marketing expenses) to develop the new drug. However, when the patent expires, other drug companies can introduce competitive generic versions, but only after they have been thoroughly tested by the manufacturer and approved by the FDA.
9. How else can one get information about generic drugs? Contact your physician, pharmacist, nurse or insurance company for information on your generic drugs.

Youmasu J. Siewe, Ph.D., MPH, is State Specialist for Public Health Education, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service at OSU in Stillwater.
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