When can a brand name drug become a generic?
Generic medications and brand name drugs are considered to be therapeutically equivalent – menaing that they are the same dosage form, have the same active ingredient in it and have passed rigorous in vivo (in the body) tests to assure that they act the same way in the body. However, that being said, some medications, specifically ones where mental issues come into play, like anti-scizophrenic drugs, the patient can effect the outcome. There are many instances of patients such as these decompensating or otherwise suffering adverse effects when switching from the brand to generic or vice versa. It doesn’t mean that one is less effective, it just means that the patient perceives it to be different. There have been studies that when the brand and generic look exactly the same, this doesn’t happen. The other time that brand and generic are not “identical” is in drugs that have a narrow therapeutic range, or requiring titrating or monitoring to assure that the correct dose is given. An exam
