If this is the case, be sure that your physician indicates that only the brand name drug can be dispensed. This means that you will pay the generic copay plus the difference in cost between the brand name or non-preferred brand name and its generic equivalent. The brand name is the trade name under which the product is advertised and sold, and is protected by patents so that it can only be produced by one manufacturer for a pre-determined number of years. Once a patent expires, other companies may manufacture a generic equivalent, providing they follow stringent FDA regulations for safety. Generic drugs are drugs for which the patent has expired, allowing other manufacturers to produce and distribute the product under a generic name.
Generics are essentially a chemical copy of their brand-name equivalents.
The color or shape may be different, but the active ingredients must be the same for both. The preferred drug list contains only FDA- approved generic medications. An example of a generic medication is diazepam, which is the generic equivalent of Valium . A. A preferred brand name drug is a medication that has been reviewed and approved by a group of physicians and pharmacists, and has been selected for preferred status based on its proven clinical and cost effectiveness. A non-preferred brand name drug is a medication that has been reviewed by the same team of physicians and pharmacists who determined that an alternative drug that is clinically equivalent and more cost effective is available.