Definition

A generic drug is a medicine that has gone off patent, therefore, it can be manufactured by any pharmaceutical company. It is the same as its brand-name drug, also known as the innovator, in terms of

• Dosage – the way should be taken/used
• Safety • Strength • Quality • Effectiveness It is the unbranded counterpart of its branded equivalent. All medicines have a generic name, which refer to their active principle or ingredient.

Once a new pharmaceutical formula is released, it has a patent protection, usually covering 17-20 years. If it passes stringent government tests and trials, the pharmaceutical company is given the exclusive right to manufacture and market the product globally during this period.
However, when the patent expires, the product can be manufactured and sold by other companies. It is then referred to as a generic drug.
A generic medicine is a proven product having been used by many different people over 20 years or so. Practically everything there is to know about its benefits and side effects would have already known.
A generic drug may be supplied by more than one company. It may be sold under the name of its active ingredient(s).

A generic drug is interchangeable with the branded drug.

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