What is a generic medicine?
When a company or laboratory first invents a patent for a medicine (eg. Viagra) that company or laboratory is the only one in the market allowed to produce such medicine for a certain number of years (approximately 20 years in Mexico). After this period of time, other companies and/or laboratories are allowed to make the same medicine. These medicines are called generics. The original medicine (eg. Viagra) is called a brand name medicine. Brand name and generic medicines are IDENTICAL in terms of active ingredients. The presentation of generic medicines (box and pills) may look different, because they are made by a different company or laboratory, but the active ingredient is exactly the same and causes the same effects as brand name medicine. The only difference between brand name and generic medicines are the cost and the company or laboratories who produce it.
