When drug companies develop new medicines, they patent them so that no other company can claim to have invented the drug. They also apply for what's called "exclusivity," which means that no other company can sell the drug for a certain number of years. Companies can charge high prices for these medicines because no one else is allowed to make them. The companies say that the prices must be high to cover the research that went into making the drugs, although the cost of advertising is also a factor.
Patents last for 20 years. Exclusivity depends on the type of drug, but in most cases it's a shorter period of time than the patent.
Once other companies can make and sell the drug, they usually charge substantially less than the brand-name price. Generics generally aren't advertised, the packaging is plain, and there are no research costs to recoup.
FDA regulations state that generics must contain the same medicines as the brand-name versions. The medicine must be absorbed by the body at the same rate and in the same amount. Basically, generic drugs must work just like the brand-name ones. It's just that the pills and packages look different. Sometimes, you'll need a bit of technical knowledge to see that the medicines really are the same: the brand name one might list ingredients in micrograms, while the generic uses milligrams.
In spite of the FDA regulations, patients and doctors occasionally report different results from generic vs. brand name pills. This may have to do with the "vehicle" the medicine is delivered in; although the drug is the same, the other ingredients in the pill might be different. Most of the time, though, you won't notice any difference.
One particular concern about generic birth control prescriptions is that the actual amount of medication in each pill might vary more than in brand name medicines. Actually, this hasn't been well studied. The FDA says that the medication should be equivalent to the brand-name version. If it's true that there is a bigger difference from pill to pill, however, it could cause side effects in women who are sensitive to hormone variations.
Birth control pills have been around for decades, so many are available as generics. The trouble with listing them here is that drugs change often, with new products coming out and older ones no longer being made. You can find out if there's a generic for your own birth control pill by asking your doctor, or by visiting the FDA's Electronic Orange Book. It's called the "Orange Book" because it used to be available in a printed, paper version with an orange cover. To start with a brand name, click on "Search by Proprietary Name." To start with the technical name of the medicine, click on "Search by Active Ingredient."
The Orange Book is updated monthly. To find out what's just been approved, visit the Generic Drug Approvals page.
Newer birth control methods don't have generic versions yet, although they probably will once the exclusivity period expires.
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