Which statement best defines a generic drug?

Which statement best defines a generic drug?

• A. Same chemical composition as a brand-name but cheaper
• B. Different chemical composition from brand-name
• C. Not approved for the market
• D. Contains no active ingredient

Answer: (A)

Generics are essentially the same medicine as the brand-name version, offered at a lower cost because the development and marketing costs have already been recouped. They contain the same active ingredient in the same amount and are used in the same way, with the same dosage form. They must be bioequivalent, meaning they deliver the same amount of active drug into the bloodstream in roughly the same time frame, so they work the same way in the body. In short, a generic drug has the same active ingredient as the brand-name product but is cheaper, which is why that description fits best. The other ideas would imply different chemistry, lack of approval, or no active ingredient, which aren’t how generics are defined.

Generics are essentially the same medicine as the brand-name version, offered at a lower cost because the development and marketing costs have already been recouped. They contain the same active ingredient in the same amount and are used in the same way, with the same dosage form. They must be bioequivalent, meaning they deliver the same amount of active drug into the bloodstream in roughly the same time frame, so they work the same way in the body. In short, a generic drug has the same active ingredient as the brand-name product but is cheaper, which is why that description fits best. The other ideas would imply different chemistry, lack of approval, or no active ingredient, which aren’t how generics are defined.