• Bookmark and Share
  • Printer Friendly
  • Text Resizer - Small
  • Text Resizer - Large
  • Email this page

Generic medicines home

Enquiries about
generic medicines

For more information
about generic medicines
email us an enquiry.

Ask our pharmacists

Expert medicines
information for the cost
of a local call.

Medicines Line
1300 888 763
Mon – Fri 9am – 6pm AEST

Generic medicines: Information for people with chronic conditions Generic medicines: Information for people with chronic conditions

Image of a woman called Yinny with a pharmacist, Lillian. Quote says 'Ask your doctor or pharmacist’ Also has the message that ‘Generic medicines are an equal choice. They contain the same active ingredient.’

There are many generic medicines available — so you may often be asked to make a choice.

What is a generic medicine?

Your doctor can prescribe generic or original brand medicines. Generic medicines are different brands containing the same active ingredient as the original brand of medicine.

Generic medicines may be different to original brand medicines in some ways. They may have different inactive ingredients, such as fillers. They are likely to have different packaging and may be a different colour. They may be a different shape or may be capsules instead of tablets. However, because they have the same active ingredient as the original medicine, they are expected to work in the body in the same way.

Why choose a generic medicine?

In Australia, generic medicines have to meet the same high manufacturing quality and safety standards as the original brand.

They may cost you less, which provides better value for money. Some generic medicines may not cost you less at the pharmacy, but they still provide value for money for the health system because of the way medicines are subsidised under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

Are there any reasons you shouldn’t switch to a generic medicine?

Before deciding to switch to a generic medicine, you should talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

There are a limited number of medicines that cannot be substituted for the original brand medicine. Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you if any of your medicines fall into this category.

People who are highly allergic to an inactive substance in a generic medicine should avoid that medicine. Adverse reactions are extremely rare. However, people with severe allergies need to check all medicines carefully before starting them by reading a Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) leaflet or talking to your doctor/pharmacist.

Some people may not want to change brands to avoid confusion. If changing to a generic medicine will negatively affect how you manage your medicines, it’s okay to ask for your usual brand — medicines management safety is important.

Living with chronic conditions —  NPS resources

For quality use of medicines information and resources for people living with chronic conditions, see our work with communities.

Community partners

Learn about our community partners. We work in collaboration with a number of national community and consumer peak organisations to develop strategic directions on quality use of medicines initiatives across Australia.

Don’t miss this!

If this page was helpful you might also like to take a look at:

This site complies to the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here.
Health Insite Logo This website is certified by Health On the Net Foundation. Click to verify.