| Generic medicines have made inroads towards | | | | effective for you? Knowing the active |
| the path previously held by brand-name | | | | ingredient in your medication and what it |
| products in the last two decades. The high | | | | essentially does for your condition will help |
| price of branded medicines is starting to | | | | you make an informed decision about which |
| become the focus of attention especially with | | | | medicine to take - and one which is not only |
| the cost of healthcare throughout the world | | | | based on the price. |
| remaining prohibitive. The high prices that | | | | |
| people used to pay for branded medicines are | | | | This goes as well for medications for |
| now becoming less and less an automatic | | | | gender-specific concerns - such as Erectile |
| decision for people buying their medication | | | | Dysfunction. One of the top lifestyle |
| today perhaps because of an awareness that | | | | medications today for the condition is Viagra |
| the same medication produced by other | | | | with sales hovering over the $1 billion |
| pharmaceutical companies may cost | | | | mark. With its immense popularity, it is |
| substantially less but may have the same | | | | inevitable that the demand for a generic |
| quality. | | | | equivalent will be quite high as well - but |
| | | | this opens the doors for counterfeit |
| Although initially encountering resistance | | | | medications. So prudence and caution should |
| due to the massive propaganda campaign | | | | be exercised in this aspect. The active |
| brought on by the manufacturers of branded | | | | ingredient of Viagra is Sildenafil Citrate, |
| medicines who have invested heavily on | | | | and the drug is manufactured by Pfizer. |
| research and brand advertising, people are | | | | Pfizer also manufactures Revatio, which is |
| wising up to the equation that Generics, or | | | | also Sildenafil Citrate, but is prescribed |
| "Biosimilar" products, should have the same | | | | for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension and for |
| efficacy as those with recognizable brand | | | | improving exercise ability. |
| names. So long as the same standards are | | | | |
| applied to evaluate the safety and efficacy | | | | Tadalafil, which is based on the chemical |
| of both generic and branded medical products, | | | | compound IC351, is marketed under the brand |
| then misinformation and negative propaganda | | | | name Cialis. It works pretty much like |
| will not have any room in the people's minds | | | | Viagra, but has a longer potency period of 36 |
| at all. | | | | hours, thus earning the moniker the "weekend |
| | | | pill". |
| On the medical prescription side, doctors are | | | | |
| actually trained to prescribe generic names | | | | Vardenafil, marketed under the brand name |
| of medications for particular illnesses. | | | | Levitra, is another Erectile Dysfunction |
| Brand names were often introduced into the | | | | medication. It works also pretty much like |
| equation when the pharmaceutical companies | | | | Viagra, but at lower dosages. Levitra is |
| lobbied with the doctors to push certain | | | | available at 2.5mg, 5mg, 10 mg, and 20mg |
| brands into the preferred prescriptions. | | | | doses, with the 10mg dose being more or less |
| | | | equivalent to a 50 mg dose of Viagra. |
| On the consumer side, the key to choosing a | | | | |
| suitable generic product is to know the "AI" | | | | Viagra, Revatio, Levitra, and Cialis all work |
| or Active Ingredient of the medication. The | | | | to provide a temporary treatment for Erectile |
| label of the medicine you purchase holds the | | | | Dysfunction. All four are PDE5 Inhibitor |
| key. Other than the brand name, it will | | | | medications. And although each one may have |
| prominently have the "Active Ingredient" | | | | subtle variations from the others, when |
| displayed beside or below the product name. | | | | properly prescribed by your healthcare |
| For instance, paracetamol is an active | | | | physician, anyone of them will probably work |
| ingredient in most branded anti-inflammatory | | | | to suit your need but it would be best to |
| or headache relief tablets. But which brand | | | | seek advice from your trusted health care |
| and at which dosage would be the most | | | | professional before deciding on anything. |