We want to begin this article with the fact that there are two groups of medicines that are presented all over the world: original drugs and generic drugs. Second one make up about 75% of the total number of drugs and of course they are cheaper. Meanwhile, sociological polls show that 60% of doctors, 75% of pharmacists and only 20% of patients know about the existence of a difference between original and generic drugs, hence the lack of understanding between all sides of the healing process.
Bayer produced a new drug called acetylsalicylic acid (INN). The company itself developed this drug. This product has patent protection, its formulation is original, and its production is protected by laws on intellectual property. This drug is the original (brand). But, here the term of the patent expires, and now there is an opportunity for other firms to produce this drug, but already under its own name, or under an international non-proprietary name. Either the manufacturer gives a license for the production of this drug even before the expiry of the patent. This drug, produced by other pharmaceutical factories, is a generic or a copy (analog). It can differ from the original dosage, the composition of the auxiliary components and their ratio, the form of release.
If the active substance in the branded and the copies are the same, the effect will be the same. Is there no need to pay more?
Not certainly in that way. There is such a thing as "bioavailability". Bioavailability characterizes the amount of active substance, capable of "reaching" the target organ. It can depend on many factors, such as the way the drug is administered, the dosage of the drug, the solubility of solid dosage forms, and so on. Bioavailability of a medicine injected directly into the blood is 100 percent. But in other dosage forms with other delivery routes (oral, rectal, intramuscular, etc.) bioavailability is much lower.
It is proved that the same medicinal products produced by different pharmaceutical plants, bioavailability is different! And, in connection with this, a new concept was introduced - bioequivalence. So if the copy preparation is bioequivalent to the branded preparation, then it means that the copy preparation and the original are almost identical.
I’ll buy an expensive tablet and I’ll be cured immediately from everything. From cheap there is no use?
The price of the tablet does not guarantee its quality by one hundred percent and even more so, that the medicine will help at once and from everything. Treatment - the process is sometimes quite long. And to get the result immediately after taking the drug is almost impossible. Cheap generic drugs, and expensive tablets, most likely, will help if the treatment is prescribed correctly.
It is especially interesting that not all drugs are taken for the treatment of the underlying disease. For example, all kinds of paracetamol cocktails are not treated. They alleviate the symptoms and sometimes mobilize the body’s immunity (depending on what else besides paracetamol is a part of the medicine).
Inevitability of economy with generic drugs:
The transition to bio-analogues in general is inevitable, experts say. This is a world practice: governments of all countries are trying to reduce the cost of drugs, and the patients themselves in most cases want to save money with generic drugs.
The use of copies in drug therapy around the world is an effective way to both save money and increase the availability of treatment. In countries where the system of drug reimbursement is well developed and the choice of the drug remains with specialists, as, for example, in the United States, medical analogues account for 88 percent of physician appointments. The difference between modern generic drugs and branded is absent and if there is an opportunity to save without loss of quality - it needs to be used.
Brand-dependency:
All analogues are divided into INN generics (the name is given by the international non-proprietary name - say, ibuprofen, acetylsalicylic acid) and branded when the drug is sold under its own brand. People love brands, coming to the pharmacy, most buyers will ask for exactly the trade name, not the active substance. Trademarks are remembered easier.
Doctors ideally should write prescriptions for INN, not for trade names, but in practice this is not always observed. Now experts recommend people to ask in pharmacies cheaper analogues. If you are in doubt and for some reason are afraid that you will buy low-quality medicine copies (although this is very rare now), pay attention to the generic drugs produced by large companies.
Patients usually do not pay attention to the description of contraindications and side effects. In addition, the doctor, prescribing treatment, may not know about any of your other diseases, simply because you did not tell him. Always study the instructions and tell the doctor about your illnesses, especially if your disease is on the list of contraindications. If there were side effects, then taking of the medicine is not necessary, you should immediately consult a doctor. This is written in any instruction, but this rule is not always followed. In this sense, both the copy and the original can give you trouble in the form of side effects.
There is another opinion that modern ibuprofen is not any better than the same ibuprofen, produced according to old recipes. Like, if you do not change the chemical formula of the same substance, in principle, there is no difference. The formula of the same substance cannot be changed (because if you change, it will be another substance). But, manufacturers can make the drug cleaner, choose a different composition of the auxiliary components of generic drugs, which will provide a better end effect, add a couple of components that will enhance the effect of the main substance with a decrease in side effects, develop a new form of release of the drug. In general, much can be done. All this in the end, will result in the fact that the medicine will become more effective and safer.
