Question

Collect information about generic medicines and discuss them in the class.

Answer 1

A generic medicine is a pharmaceutical medicine that contains the same chemical substitute as a drug that was originally protected by chemical parents. Generic drugs are allowed to sell after the patents on the original drug expire.

Complete answer:
Generic medicines are copies of brand name drugs that have exactly the same dosage, intended use, side effects, route of administration, risk, safety. Their pharmaceutical effects are exactly the same as those of their brand name counterparts.
Example for diabetes is Metformin , a brand name for Metformin is Glucophage. A generic drug one used for hypertension Metoprolol whereas a brand name for the same drug is Lopressor.
Generic drugs are only cheaper because the manufacturer has not had the expenses of developing and marketing a new drug drug.
When a company brings a new drug onto the market, the firm has already spent enough money on research, development, marketing and promotion of the drug.
A patent is granted that gives the company that launched and developed the drug an exclusive right to sell the drug as long as the patent is effective.
As the patent is near expiration,manufacturers can apply to FDA to grant permission to make and sell generic models of the drug and without the startup loss for development of the drug, other companies can afford to make and sell it more cheaply.

Note:
A generic medicine works in the same way and provides the same clinical benefits as the brand name medicine. Generic drugs are approved only after review done by FDA and after a set period of time that the brand product has been on the market exclusively.