Generic medicines: Questions to ask your pharmacist (Part 2)

Is there a risk of confusion if I substitute my tried and trusted medicine with a generic alternative?When your doctor prescribes you a particular medicine, your pharmacist will often offer you a generic alternative A generic medicine is essentially the same as the original branded medicine, at least as far as the main (active) part of the drug is concerned. Sometimes a generic may be cheaper, but not always, so you should check the actual price difference.

Possible differences between an original branded medicine and generic alternatives:

Name
Colour
Size
Shape
Packaging

Generic confusion

Even if the generic is cheaper, there are other things to think about before you decide to move away from the brand you are used to. Although the active ingredient is the same, the generic version may look quite different to the medication you have been using and will have a different name. In fact, there may be several different generic versions available, all of which look different and have different names! This can be confusing, especially for people who have difficulty reading, or speaking English, or are taking more than one medication.^1-3

Confusion can be a particular issue for older people.³ Around two-thirds of Australians over the age of 60 take four or more different drugs, and for many people it’s a lot more than four.⁴ And of course, taking several drugs usually means remembering to take medications at different times of the day, some before food, some after food, sometimes needing to halve tablets, often dealing with a number of different forms of medication.⁴

… you could quite easily take a double dose of the same medication by accident because you have two versions with different names that look different.

Changing from the branded version of a medication to a generic version may only add to the confusion. And getting your medications confused can have serious consequences. For example, you could quite easily take a double dose of the same medication by accident because you have two versions with different names that look different.^1,2

If you are at all worried about being able to keep track of your medications or about getting your medicines confused, you should think twice about accepting an alternative to the medicine you are used to.

Glossary: What is …?

… an original branded medicine?

A branded medicine is the original version of that medicine, which has been through rigorous clinical testing over a number of years to prove its effectiveness and safety for a particular medical condition. A new medicine can have a ‘patent’ taken out on it.⁵

… a patent?

If a company that develops a particular medicine takes out a patent on it, only they have the right to produce and distribute that medicine for a period of time. In Australia, a patent usually lasts for 10+ years from when a medicine is first marketed.⁴

… a generic?

Once the patent on a medicine expires, other manufacturers can make and sell copies of that medicine. The active ingredient in these generic copies is the same as in the original branded version, but the medicine may look different and have a different name. To add to the complication, there may be many different generic versions of a particular medicine available.⁶

Always speak to your doctor about which medicines are suitable for you.

References

McLachlan AJ, Ramzan I, Milne RW. Frequently asked questions about generic medicines. Aust Prescr. 2007; 30: 41-3.
Phelps K. Australian Medical Association accepts generic prescribing. BMJ. 2003; 326(7396): 985.
NPS News 55: Generic medicines: Dealing with multiple brands [online]. 1 December 2007 [cited 4 January 2010]. Available from URL: http://www.nps.org.au/health_professionals/publications/nps_news/current/generic_medicines_dealing_with_multiple_brands
Elliott RA. Problems with medication use in the elderly: An Australian perspective. J Pharm Pract Res. 2006; 36(1): 58-66.
Virtual Medical Centre. Generic Drugs and Brand Drugs (Generic Medicine and Branded Medicine) [online]. 28 April 2009 [cited 4 January 2010]. Available from URL: /treatments/generic-medicines-and-branded-medicines/
NPS News 44: Generic medicines: same difference? [online]. February 2006 [cited 4 January 2010]. Available from URL: http://www.nps.org.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/15842/news44.pdf