The main difference between a generic drugand a brand one is that the former is several times cheaper. However, due to lack of information or inability to research the matter some people still prefer buying brand name drugs thinking that the name of the company behind it can ensure a better quality, which is not exactly correct. A generic drug, which by definition is a drug produced and distributed without a brand name, contains the same active ingredient and is equivalent to its brand counterpart. Surely, there are differences besides the price, but those can be considered insignificant since they include such parameters as name, color and shape.
There are a number of reasons generics cost less that brand drugs. Firstly, generic tablets you purchase do not include the cost of discovery and research that brought them into existence. Secondly, the companies that produce these drugs do not have to prove the safety of their medicines. Instead, they can simply use the data provided by the company making brand name drugs, as this company does have to conduct trials and numerous studies. And thirdly, the marketing efforts of the company producing generics are reduced to almost nothing if compared to the brand drug manufacturer. All that influences the price you have to pay – and spending less really makes sense if you get the same value.