A generic medication is the same as it's brand counterpart, but is much less expensive usually. A generic drug will need to have the same substances, route of administration, dosage form, power, and indications as the original brand product. Generic medicines are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and so are deemed to become as effective and safe as the brand product.

Generics cannot be sold until after the medication patent expires on the initial brand name product. For example, generic fluoxetine cannot be sold until the patent had expired on over the counter equivalent brand name equivalent Prozac. A medication manufacturer applies pills for sale canada a patent to safeguard their medication from becoming copied and offered by cheap another firm and losing profits.

Patents typically expire 20 years from the day of filing. During this period of patent protection, only the initial manufacturer can research, develop and sell the brand name drug. When the patent expires, other manufacturers can post an abbreviated brand-new drug software (ANDA) to the FDA for approval to market the generic version.

Generic drugs have lower research costs and improved market competition and those substantial savings are offered to the individual. However, generic medicines must meet rigid FDA requirements with respect to quality still, performance, labeling, making, and bioequivalence. For legal reasons, generic drugs must have the same substances as the brand name product, and they should be expected to have the same impact when used in place of a brand name drug.