If you thought about buying prescription drugs on the internet you can find the whole experience rather confusing.

• Are generic drugs as good as brand names?
• Are copies of drugs, such as Viagra safe to use?
• Does it matter if a drug is not “FDA approved”?
• Are you there to break the law if you buy FDA approved drugs on the internet?

These are just some of the questions that many people have about online pharmacies and drugs online. The purpose of this article is to answer some of them.

What is a generic Viagra NZ?

In the U.S. and many other countries, a generic Viagra is a copy of a brand name Viagra. It has the same active ingredients as the brand-name version, and so it is the same as the brand-name version in dosage, safety, strength, quality, performance and intended use.

A generic version of a brand name drug is not just similar to its brand name counterpart. It is identical in all its important characteristics. It should not look like the brand-name version, and may have a different flavor. But the amount of important active ingredients is the same, and therefore has the same therapeutic characteristics as its brand name counterpart.

Does every brand name drug have a generic counterpart?

No, not every brand drug has a generic counterpart. This is especially the case with new drugs like Viagra, Cialis and Levitra. These branded formulations are patent protected for 20 years from the date of filing of the patent. This means that no other drug company can introduce a generic version of any of these drugs while its patent is pending. In this way, the original developer of the brand-name drug tries to recover the costs of research and development.

When the patent expires of a specific drug, other companies – including the original developer of the brand-name drug – can apply to the FDA to sell generic versions.

This also explains why legitimate generic drugs are cheaper than their branded counterparts. A generic manufacturer does not have to recoup the costs of research and development and therefore may sell for less. This also has a tendency to reduce the price of the brand name version as well.

Generic drugs must be approved by the FDA?

Yes, all prescription drugs, including all generic drugs must be approved by the FDA. In order to be sold to the public, generic drugs must pass the same FDA inspections as their brand-name counterparts. They must be produced to the same high standards and the facilities where they are produced are subjected to inspections. In fact, 50 per cent of all generic drugs are manufactured by the same company that makes the brand-name version of the drug.

Is there such a thing as a generic drug which is not approved by FDA?

No, technically speaking, there is no such thing as a generic drug which is not approved by FDA. As indicated above, to be legitimate, generic medication needs to have the same characteristics as their brand-name counterparts, and must go through the same process of FDA approval to be sold to the public.

When an offshore company copies a brand-name drug before its patent expires and you cannot get FDA approval because it is breaking the law of the United States.