MANY Filipino consumers wonder why  generic medicines are cheaper than the branded ones. What makes them different? Are they any less effective?

According to Janet W. Estrañero, Franchise Director of The Generics Pharmacy®, a generic drug is simply a branded drug that uses a different name. “Generic drugs use the same chemical compounds or active ingredients as branded ones so there should be no fear or doubt about their efficacy,” she said

Most manufactured items like the branded medicine puts a premium on its trademark.  A pharmaceutical company that manufactures a new drug even obtains a patent for it, keeping it from being sold by other firms and allowing the originator company to recover its investments in research and development.

That patent-protected drug is the branded drug, and patients who pay for it also pay for the cost of research and safety studies, the costs of its marketing and transportation, and an added premium cost if it is the only available drug for a certain symptom, disease or condition.

Once the drug patent expires, usually after a 20-year period, any other company can manufacture the drug and sell it with the same active ingredients as the branded one – minus the high originator’s cost.

The cost of generic medicines average at one-fifth of the cost of branded medicines due largely to the expiration of patents on their active ingredients. The Generics Pharmacy® is the pioneering generic retail pharmacy in the country credited for shifting consumers’ attitude toward generic medicines and contributing to greater understanding of these drugs’ safety and efficacy.

The company’s network of branches – which stands at over 1,100 outlets all over the country, and growing rapidly – also ensures that these valuable generic medicines will benefit as many Filipinos as possible.