"Plavix" Chemical Composition

Close to one of every two brand name prescriptions on the market today have a generic equivalent, and many of these generic medications are up to 80% less expensive than their brand name equivalent.

When the patent on a brand name expires, the original manufacturer loses the right to be the only supplier of that particular drug formula. Once a drug patent has expired, other FDA approved manufacturers can make and sell exact copies of the original, tested active ingredients.

Because the original patent holder performed all of the required, and very expensive, development and testing, the generic equivalent drug is much less expensive for other manufacturers to produce. The fact that generic drugs cost much less than brand name medications has nothing to do with the quality of the medication and everything to do with the cost of development, testing and marketing.

Once a drug is no longer covered by its patent, any number of manufacturers may decide to make and sell a generic equivalent. While in the United States the FDA must approve generic drugs in just the same way as the original was approved, with several manufacturers competing in the market, the price is almost always driven down. This is another reason why generic drugs tend to be much less expensive than the original brand name product. With competition from generics, the average price for the original brand name drug also often falls once it is no longer patent protected.

Generic drugs will not carry the same name as the original brand name drug. Pharmaceutical manufacturers invest heavily in promoting their brand name while their product is under patent. While the patent for the active ingredients may have expired, the original developer still holds the trademark on the drug name they have been advertising, and they remain the only ones who can sell their drug under that trademarked name. They hope that you and your doctor will continue to remember that original catchy name and continue to ask for their brand name product.

Manufacturers of the generic equivalent will most often use some version of a "chemical" name. For instance, the trademark "Tylenol" is owned by McNeil Pharmaceuticals. The Tylenol patent has expired, and a number of different manufacturers now make generic equivalents of "Tylenol" with the generic names "acetaminophen" and "paracetamol."

The brand name anti-clotting drug "Plavix" is now marketed generically as "Clopidogrel," "Clopilet," "Ceruvin" and "Clavix." According to FDA requirements, the active ingredients of all these generic blood thinners are the same.

The fact that a generic medication does not look like the original has nothing to do with the chemical formula  or its effectiveness. In almost all cases a generic drug will not look the same as the original brand name drug. The "look" of the original patented drug was trademarked at the same time the brand name was trademarked. Unlike a patent, a trademark does not expire. Because it has been trademarked, generic producers are not permitted to copy the exact color and shape of the original drug.

When a physician writes a prescription, he has the option of leaving the ultimate choice of substituting a generic medication up to the pharmacist filling the prescription.

The pharmacist filling a prescription is in the best position to know which drugs are covered by a particular individual's health insurance plan. If the medication prescribed is not covered, or is covered with a much higher co-payment, with the doctor's permission the pharmacist can substitute a generic equivalent that will be more affordable for the patient.

If you have been taking a generic medication, when you refill your prescription your medication may not look the same. If you see a difference, be sure to check with the pharmacist. It is possible that either, A) there has been an error in filling the prescription; or B) the pharmacy has purchased the medication from a different generic supplier, who is using a different shape and/or color for an equivalent medication.

In some cases the doctor feels strongly that a patient should only take the original formulation prescribed. In that case, the doctor will not check the little box on the bottom of the prescription form permitting the pharmacist to make a substitution.

To avoid any questions or confusion, always check a written prescription before leaving the doctor's office, and ask about substituting a generic if the doctor hasn't offered the option.