generic drug

generic drug

Generic equivalent Pharmacology A drug that is no longer under patent protection, which may be produced by any manufacturer who follows good manufacturing protocols. See Drug monograph, 'Me too' drug.

McGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Modern Medicine. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

ge·ner·ic drug

(jĕ-ner'ik drŭg)

A medicine distributed under its generic (nonproprietary) name.

Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing © Farlex 2012

generic drug

A drug sold under the official medical name of the basic active substance. The generic name is chosen by the Nomenclature Committee of the British Pharmacopoeia Commission and is used in publications such a the British National Formulary . Doctors are encouraged to prescribe generic drugs as these are generally cheaper than the same drug under a trade or brand name.

Collins Dictionary of Medicine © Robert M. Youngson 2004, 2005

Patient discussion about generic drug

Q. When will a generic brand of insulin be available? The cost of insulin seems to be way too high... And with the ever rising population of diabetics, you'd think some other companies would jump unto the bandwagon with a cheaper insulin... what's up with that?

A. Unfortunately, as long as Eli Lilly has an effective monopoly on the American market and docs continue to perscribe the latest "flavor" of insulin, the situation is unlikely to change. Personally, I refuse to use Lilly's products (use Novo Nordisk insulin instead) and am still using the regular and NPH I was using 20 years ago... Also, because Type I diabetes tends to affect children, parents are naturally always seeking the next new thing. Doesn't make for an environment conducive to cheaper alternatives, which is a real shame for us all.

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