| You are here: | About>Health>Back & Neck Pain> Medications> OTC-Over the Counter Drugs> Aspirin> Generic Drugs - What is a Generic Drug? |
 | Back & Neck Pain |
"Generic Drugs"About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board
Definition: A generic drug is one that is called by the official, chemical name of the drug.
The generic name differs from the (often) more widely known brand name of a drug. Drug companies do not own trademarks for generic drugs. If a generic drug is for sale, it means that there is no pharmaceutical company having an exclusive right to sell that drug. Frequently, this makes the generic version less expensive than brand, but you are getting the very same substance. Pronunciation: gen air ik Examples: The generic name for for the pain killer Tylenol is acetaminophen. Updated: January 24, 2008  About.com is accredited by the Health On the Net Foundation, which promotes reliable and trusted online health information. |
Dealing With Heart DiseaseHeart Disease BasicsCommon SymptomsTreatment OptionsReducing Your RiskWomen and Heart Disease |
All Topics | Email Article | |  |  |
| Advertising Info | News & Events | Work at About | SiteMap | Reprints | Help | Our Story | Be a Guide |
| More from About, Inc.: Calorie Count Plus | UCompareHealthCare User Agreement | Ethics Policy | Patent Info. | Corrections | Privacy Policy | ©2008 About, Inc., A part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved. |