FACT DO GENERIC Your medication guide should be kept with

you and up to date. List your prescription

DRUGS TAKE and over-the-counter medicines as well as
LONGER TO WORK your dietary supplements.
IN THE BODY?
No. Generic drugs

FACTS

What do I use
work in the same way

Arthritis
it for?
and in the same
amount of time as
brand-name drugs.

FACT WHY ARE GENERIC DRUGS

When do I

Morning
take it?
LESS EXPENSIVE?
Creating a drug costs lots of money.
Since generic drug makers do not
develop a drug from scratch, the
costs to bring the drug to market
are less. But they must show that
1 Tablet 400 mg
How much do

ABOUT
their product performs in
I take?

the same way as

the brand-name
drug. All generic
drugs are
approved
by FDA. GENERIC
xxxx (Example)
Name of my

DRUGS
medicine

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

AND HUMAN SERVICES
Food and Drug Administration
FOOD AND DRUG
1-888-INFO-FDA • www.fda.gov ADMINISTRATION
FACT WHAT ARE GENERIC DRUGS? FACT ARE BRAND-NAME DRUGS MADE IN FACT DOES EVERY
A generic drug is the same as a BETTER FACTORIES THAN GENERIC BRAND-NAME DRUG HAVE
brand-name drug in:
• dosage
DRUGS? A GENERIC DRUG?
• safety No. All No. When new drugs are first
• strength factories made they have drug patents.
• quality must Most drug
• the way it works meet the patents are
• the way it is taken same high protected for
• the way it should be used standards. If the 17 years. The
factories do not patent
meet certain standards, the FDA won’t protects the
FACT ARE GENERIC DRUGS AS allow them to make drugs. company that made the drug first.
SAFE AS BRAND-NAME The patent doesn’t allow anyone
DRUGS? FACT IF BRAND-NAME DRUGS AND else to make and sell the drug.
When the patent expires, other drug
Yes. The FDA GENERIC DRUGS HAVE THE SAME companies can start selling the
says that ACTIVE INGREDIENTS, WHY DO generic version of the drug. But,
first, they must test the drug and
all drugs
must work THEY LOOK DIFFERENT? the FDA must approve it.
well and be safe. Generic drugs In the United States, trademark laws
use the same active ingredients as do not allow generic drugs to look FACT WHAT IS THE BEST
brand-name drugs and work the same exactly like the
way. So they have the same risks and brand-name drug.
SOURCE OF
benefits as the brand-name drugs. However, the INFORMATION
generic drug must
ABOUT GENERIC
FACT ARE GENERIC DRUGS AS STRONG have the same
active ingredients. DRUGS?
AS BRAND-NAME DRUGS? Colors, flavors, and certain other parts
Contact your doctor, pharmacist
Yes. FDA requires generic may be different. But these things don’t
or other healthcare worker for
drugs must be as: affect the way the drug works and they
information on your generic drugs.
• high quality are looked at by FDA.
For more information, you can also
• strong visit the FDA website at:
• pure, and Generic Drugs: http://www.fda.gov/cder and
• stable Safe. Effective. FDA Approved. click on Consumer Education.
as brand-name drugs