Are Brand-Name and Generic Drugs Really the Same? The Prescriber Perspective
Laurie Scudder, DNP, NP
Posted: 09/18/2012
Prescribers and patients often voice concerns about the safety and efficacy of generic drugs that are substituted for brand-name drug products. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, they are with us to stay. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves a generic substitute if it has proven to be "identical, or bioequivalent, to a brand-name drug in dosage form, safety, strength, route of administration, quality, performance characteristics, and intended use."[1]
The FDA’s Orange Book provides the latest information on generic approvals. Approved generic agents have been demonstrated to have therapeut