How to use generic drugs? Part 2

RECOGNIZE A GENERIC DRUG (CONTINUED)

How do I know which generic drugs are available for my treatment?

To find out the generic drugs for your drug, you can check the public drug database.

It groups together all the drugs marketed (original and generic) and allows you to access all the valuable information via two possible entries: by drug name and by the name of the active substance.

Note: its name can recognize a generic drug. If this name is that of the active substance expressed in the international nonproprietary name (DCI ) followed by the laboratory's name, this is a generic drug.

What medication is diclofenac for?

To find out which drug diclofenac corresponds to, you can consult the public drug database (external site), which groups together all the drugs on the market and allows you to access all the valuable information via two possible entries: by drug name and by the name of the active substance (like diclofenac).

I am looking for a specific generic drug, I have had it as a treatment before, but I do not know its name. How to find him?

To find your generic drug or its original drug, you can consult the public drug database (external site), which groups together all the drugs on the market and allows you to access all the valuable information via two possible entries: by drug name (original or generic) and by word of the active substance.

By carrying out your search using the name of the original medication prescribed to you, you will be able to find the generic drug (s) which corresponds to it in the "generic group" section.

How to know if a drug exists in the generic form in France?

There are brand-name drugs that have not yet been "generic."

Indeed, when a laboratory discovers a molecule, he files a patent which gives him commercial exclusivity on this molecule for several years. That is to say, it is the only one able to market a drug containing this molecule. It is only after the patent expires that other laboratories can design generic drugs containing this molecule original.

To conduct a complete search on a marketed drug (generic or not), you can consult the public database of generic drugs (external site). You can then check whether or not your medicine belongs to a generic group in France.

How to navigate with different names for the same drug?

The name of the original drug is a trading name chosen by the company. This one can only use it. The name of the generic drug is often the same as the name of the molecule (the active ingredient) it contains, along with the laboratory's name and the dosage. The molecule's name is expressed as an international nonproprietary name (DCI ), a language familiar to healthcare professionals worldwide (unlike brand names that may change from one country to another and which are chosen by laboratories). This name * is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO). Some generic drugs do not follow this rule. The mention "Gé" for "generic" then follows the brand name.

*The DCI contains information on the pharmacological activity of the molecule. Thus, the DCI substances of the same pharmacological group have a common element (for example, a common suffix: all DCI which end in "-floxacin" are antibiotics of the fluoroquinolone family).

How can we know the molecule corresponding to each drug?

The molecule's name is present for generic drugs like original drugs on the medicine box and leaflet. It is called the International Nonproprietary Name (DCI ), a universally recognized name allowing each pharmaceutical substance of each drug to be identified.

You can also find the drug molecule on the public drug database (external site), which groups all the drugs on the market.

Note that the name of the generic drug is often the same as that of the molecule (the active ingredient) it contains, along with the name of the laboratory and the dosage.

Why is my medication not available as a generic?

Pharmaceutical companies are free to choose the generic drugs they wish to develop.

They have to respect the legal deadlines for protecting administrative data and patents for reference drugs to apply for marketing authorization (AMM) for a generic drug and market it.

Why is my medicine not available as a generic medicine?

The drug market is a free market in which competition can be exercised freely. As with any health or consumer product, from the moment the patent for discovering the active principle (the active molecule drug) has expired, generic drugs can be marketed.

The ANSM authorizes the placing on the French market of a generic drug based on the pharmaceutical quality and bioequivalence of the product. The laboratory that holds the MA dossier is then free to market it or not. All drugs authorized in France, whether sold or not, are listed in the ANSM directory of generic specialties. And all drugs marketed in France are listed in the public drug database accessible online.

Is there a generic drug for the tadalafil molecule?

There is no marketed generic of tadalafil to date, although the patent for a molecule has fallen into the public domain.

It should be noted that all drugs authorized in France, whether marketed or not, are listed in the directory of generic specialties of the ANSM. And all medications sold in France are listed in the public drug database (external site) accessible online.

Is esomeprazole gel currently authorized?

Yes, all existing proton pump inhibitor molecules - molecules whose main action is a reduction in gastric acidity production responsible for stomach pain (esomeprazole, lansoprazole, omeprazole, pantoprazole, and rabeprazole ) - are listed in the generic drugs directory.

Why not specify their indication on the medicine box?

The International Nonproprietary Name (DCI ) is a universally recognized name allowing each pharmaceutical substance to be identified. DCI is the scientific name of the drug, that is, that of its active principle.

Also, the DCI contains information on the pharmacological activity of the molecule. Thus, the DCI substances of the same pharmacological group have a common element (e.g., a common suffix). For example, all DCIs that end in "-floxacin" are antibiotics of the fluoroquinolone family.

Medicines often have more than one indication. The instructions contained inside each box indicate.

If this seems necessary to you, do not hesitate to ask your doctor about the indications for each product prescribed. Your pharmacist can also provide you with all the details of your treatment.