Once a patent expires for a drug (after 20 years) other manufacturers will step in to start selling the same drug but marketed as a generic. A recent investigation by skynews reported that the differences between some of these generic drugs (specifically pain killers) and their branded equivalents were few and far between.

…consumers in the UK are spending more on painkillers than ever before, a Sky News investigation reveals branded pills that claim to target pain can cost up to four times more than unbranded tablets…Jayne Lawrence, professor of biophysical pharmaceutics at Kings College London, said: “Some people believe that by taking a more expensive preparation, perhaps a branded formulation, they’ll get better pain relief.

“If it’s the same dose of drug, in the same formulation, the customer will experience no difference.”

Courtesy Skynews