Drugs And Generic And Trade Names
Drug is defined, in broad and very non-specific terms as any substance that is taken into the body, through any means, intended to alter the body functions and processes. Drugs may be used as cures for certain medical conditions, or they may also be used purely for recreational purposes. In pharmacology, Dictionary.com defines a drug as "a chemical substance used in the treatment, cure, prevention, or diagnosis of disease or used to otherwise enhance physical or mental well-being." Drugs may be prescribed for a limited duration, or on a regular basis for chronic disorders.
When a drug is first discovered, it is given a chemical name according to its chemical composition and International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry rules. Since chemical names are usually very long and complicated, its not feasible for pharmacists and researchers to use those names. The complexity of chemical name makes it impractical to remember every drug name. A shorthand version of drug name is thus devised, or a code is given to the chemical name until it is presented to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and approved. FDA then decides a formal name for that drug, known as Generic Drug Name. Trade names are the names chosen by the manufacturing company and are usually easier to remember.
Government officials, researchers, doctors, and others who write about the new compounds use the drug’s generic name because it refers to the drug itself, not to a particular company’s brand of the drug or a specific product. However, doctors often use the trade name on prescriptions, because it is easier to remember and doctors usually learn about new drugs by the trade name.
Generic drug names are usually harder to remember as compared to trade names. Generic names are generally shorthand versions of the actual chemical formula of drug. It may even be just a part of the chemical name. Trade names, on the other hand, are catchy and easy to understand. They may refer to the chemical composition or the desired outcome. Trade names often suggest a characteristic of the drug. For example, the drug Lopressor lowers the blood pressure, Vivactil might make a person more vivacious or lively, Glucotrol controls high blood sugar (glucose) levels, and Skelaxin relaxes skeletal muscles. Sometimes, the trade name is simply a shortened version of the drug’s generic name—for example, Minocin for minocycline.
The term generic, is generally assumed to be a low-quality version of a trade or brand name product. This applies to major household and food items, but drugs are devoid of it. Generic drugs are just as effective as brand name drugs. In fact, generic drug makers manufacture many trade-name products for companies that control the trade names. Sometimes, more than one generic version of a drug is available. For example, many manufacturers sell versions of Acetaminophen.
The generic and brand names can thus be very different, but both can refer to the same drug of a common chemical name and/or structure.
Are generic drugs equal to brand name products?
There are quality generics for these products, and so long as a paitent is stable on one generic (or the original trade name drug), my recommendation is to not change to a different manufacturer if possible.
"Authorized Generic" Drugs
FTC Issues Interim Report on "Authorized Generic" Drugs. The Federal Trade Commission today issued “Authorized Generics: An Interim Report,” which presents the first set of results from a study conducted to examine the short-term and … An authorized generic exists when a pharmaceutical manufacturer sells a drug under both a brand-name and generic label.
Top Prescription Drugs
Lipitor (trade)Atorvastatin (generic), High Cholesterol (common use)HMG-CoA Reductase… 3. Vicodin, Norco, Lorcet, Lortab (trade names)Hydrocodone… Pain Management (indication)Narcotic Analgesic.
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