Why Choose Generic Medicines?

Blog August 1, 2019

What are generic pet medications?

Generic pet medications are made to work the same way brand-name pet medicines do. Generic pet medication and brand-name pet medicines have the same active ingredients, so they have the same risks and benefits as the latter. Furthermore, generic pet medications are created to be the same as existing brand names in the following aspects:

quality;
strength;
unit doses;
safety and performance characteristics;
effectiveness;
stability; and
why and how pets must take the medicine

Therefore, generic pet medicines can be considered the same or an equal substitute for their brand-name counterparts.

Generic versus brand-name drugs pet medications

One significant difference between generic and branded pet medications is that generics can save you lots of money. Estimates show that you can save at least two-thirds the cost of a branded pet medication with a generic pet medication. This point is essential as health should be a number one priority and should not be taken for granted because of money.

Now you might be wondering why generics cost much less than the branded pet medicines. Well, a brand-name pet medicine is the first of its kind medicine and for a drugmaker to put its drug to the pharmacy shelf is expensive. Being the first medicine of its kind, it means that the drugmaker gets to "brand" the name. And for companies to launch a new drug, money is invested for research, large scale drug testing, including of course marketing, advertising, and promotion.

For pharmaceuticals to spend such a significant investment, the FDA gives patent protection and rights to brand-name pet meds. This patent will provide exclusive rights for the brand to sell the drug for 12 years exclusively. Once a patent ends, other companies are then allowed to make generic versions of brand-name medicine. And since these medications have been developed and have undergone prior testings by brand-name companies, generic drugmaker's costs are relatively low.

Why do they look different?

So, if generic pet medicines and brand-name pet medicines contain the same active ingredients, then why do generic pet medicines they look different from branded ones? Well, that is because trademark laws don't allow a generic medication to look similar to other drugs that are already in the market. Hence, you may find minor differences that do not affect the performance, safety, or effectiveness of the generic medicine.

They may have a different shape, color, packaging, and labeling. Generic pet medications are also allowed to have different inactive ingredients from brand-name pet meds. For example, they can change or add some flavoring or preservatives.

What about quality?

Generic pet medications must meet the same standards as branded pet medicines. A generic pet med can be taken the same way as you would a branded medicine and for the same reason.

Generic drugs must be similar to brand-name medicines in:

Strength
Active Ingredient
Testing standards
Ability to reach the needed level in the bloodstream at the right time and to the same degree
Type of medicine (tablet, inhaler, or liquid, etc.)
Use and effect