Are generics the same as brand-name medications?

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Generic drug has the same active ingredients as brand-name but its known by its chemical name

What you should know:
•Generic drugs have same ingredients as brand names
•Generic drugs are as effective as brand names
•They are approved by FDA and cost less


•What are Generic Drugs?
As consumers, we tend to trust the familiar names. But when it comes to medications, brand names aren't necessarily the best choice. Hundreds of medications now have generic alternatives, drugs that contain the same active ingredients -- often at a fraction of the cost...

•Generic Drugs
No matter how it's marketed, how it's packaged, or what it's called, every drug is just a combination of ingredients. And, in many cases, you can buy the exact same medication without paying brand name prices. The use of generic drugs saves consumers an estimated $10 billion a year in drug costs... 

•Generic Drug Savings
Generic drugs contain the same active ingredients at the same strength and purity as their brand-name counterparts, but they come at a fraction of the cost. According to the Congressional Budget Office, generic drugs save consumers an estimated $8 billion to $10 billion a year..

Transcript
Hi, I'm Melvin Smith and I'm a CVS pharmacist. You may have noticed generic medicines in your prescription bottles. A generic drug is a drug that has the same active ingredients as a brand-name drug, but it's known only by its chemical name. Generics are less expensive and can typically be substituted for brand-name drugs.
According to the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, generic drugs are just as safe and effective as their brand-name counterparts. In fact, they have to be, by law. Even though they may not appear in TV commercials, and their names may be difficult to pronounce, according to FDA regulations any generic drug has to have the same active ingredients in the same amounts as the brand-name version. They must be bioequivalent to brand-name drugs, meaning that they can be expected to act in the body just as the brand-name drug would, and the rate and extent of absorption into the blood must be within 20 percent of those for the brand-name drug.
Generics sometimes look different because they can't copy the look of a brand-name pill. Also, generics may have different inactive or "filler" ingredients. If more than one company is producing a generic version of a drug, each will be slightly different. These differences are clinically insignificant.
If you have any questions ask your CVS pharmacist. We're here to help.