Brand Name vs Generic Medication – Headache Treatments
For years the debate has gone on about which is better – brand name or generic medication. The answer to that question will be different from person to person, depending on several different factors. Those factors include what is actually different about the two.
No matter what part of the world you're in, the development of new medications is a very time consuming and costly process. This is true even of the simplest medications, such as aspirin, ibuprofen and acetaminophen. Added to that is the drawn out process of getting everything approved by the FDA before the drug can be made available to the public.
Eventually, many of these drugs will find their way into the marketplace. The companies that produce these drugs are granted exclusive rights to sell their products, according to patent and trademark laws. However, this only lasts for a certain amount of time.
The length of time differs, but at some point, other companies are given the opportunity to use the active ingredients in products of their own. An example of this would be the German company, Bayer. After WWI, they lost the exclusive rights to acetylsalicylic, which then became available to other manufacturers.
When the original company loses it's exclusive rights, this is when the generic companies make their move. The generic version is often just as good as the brand name. The difference is, the work has already been done by the original company, which allows the generic companies to sell the product at a much lower cost.
Even though the product is virtually the same, some changes must be made to stay inside the boundaries of the law. Generic companies are not permitted to sell an identical product under a different name. The active ingredients may stay the same, but some component of the product must change.
The components that change in the generic versions are usually the so-called inactive ingredients. Usually, this does not change the effect of the drug. In some cases, though, people may be affected by an inactive ingredient that otherwise would not be there in the original version. Some people may be affected by something as simple as the color or odor of the product.
Bufferin style medications are made up of aspirin and buffered with calcium carbonate. Changing this calcium level may have an adverse affect for some people. People have reported experiencing different result between brand name and generic versions of certain medications. An example of this would be Zoloft, which is an anti-depressant. Some types of headaches are treated with this type of medication.
Even though the basic ingredients and quality standards remain the same, the larger drug companies do have certain advantages over the generic companies. In addition to being able to successfully market their product, they also have the resources to put into their manufacturing processes that some of the smaller companies do not.
For this reason, many times the brand name version of a drug is still of a higher quality than that of the generic companies. Another reason is that some of the components for generic drugs are made in other parts of the world, such as China. It's difficult to monitor the manufacturing process in cases like this.
Just like anything else, it comes down to the individual. It's your responsibility to explore all of the options and make an informed decision.
Introduction to Headaches
Causes of Headaches
Diagnosing Headaches
Who is At Risk of Suffering from Headaches?
Common Headache Symptoms
Headaches Guide and Info
Cluster Headaches Symptoms, Causes and Treatments
Sinus Headaches Causes and Treatments
Seeking Medical Advice for Headaches
Tension Headaches Causes, Symptoms and Treatments
Migraine Symptoms, Causes and Treatments
Pregnancy Headaches Causes, Symptoms and Treatments
Headaches Treatment and Medication
Headaches Treatment - Surgery vs Drugs
Aspirin - Headache Medication and Treatment
Headaches Preventive Medications and Treatments
Ergots and Midrin for Migraines Treatment
How to Control Headaches Symptoms
Ibuprofen Headache Medication and Treatment
Acetaminophen – Headache Medication and Treatment
Triptans Migraines Treatment and Medication
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