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Generic medicines home

Enquiries about
generic medicines

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What is a generic medicine? What is a generic medicine?

Image of a woman called Yinny saying 'Same job. Different brand.’ Also has the message that ‘Generic medicines are an equal choice. They contain the same active ingredient.’

The pharmaceutical company that first develops a medicine takes out a patent to ensure its exclusive right to produce and market it. After the patent for the original medicine expires, other manufacturers, or the company who made the original brand, can produce the medicine with the same active ingredient. These are called generic medicines. For certain medicines, there can be multiple brands of generic medicines.

Same high standards

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approves all prescription medicines before they can be marketed or supplied in Australia. This ensures the quality, safety and effectiveness of all prescription medicines sold in Australia. The TGA applies the same high standards of review to all prescription medicines. Hence, generic medicines have to meet the same manufacturing quality and safety standards as the original brand.

Same active ingredient

Generic medicines contain the same active ingredient as the original brand of medicine. The active ingredient is the chemical responsible for the medicine’s therapeutic effect, that is, the chemical that makes the medicine work.

Generic medicines may look different to the original medicine because the inactive ingredients (also called 'inert ingredients' or 'excipients') may be different — the generic medicine may have different binders, fillers and colours. Nevertheless, generic medicines have the same active ingredient as the original medicine, so they are expected to work in the same way, to produce the same benefits and the same potential side effects.

Same effect

For a generic medicine to be placed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), it must be interchangeable with the original brand and proven to be bioequivalent. This means that the way the drug works in the body is so similar that the medicine can be expected to have the same therapeutic effect. Generic medicines have to be tested to prove that they are bioequivalent with the original brand.

To find out more speak with your doctor or pharmacist.

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