Medication brand-name

The creation of a brand-name medication starts with original research, testing, and marketing investments that can be quite costly for the manufac-... 

In the past, the approval process was not clear, and the FDA became the focus of critical attention. In 1989 it was accused of accepting gratuities from the pharmaceutical companies to approve new brand-name medications more expeditiously (Heller, 1993). 

Generic drugs, which are always called by their chemical name, are created only after the patent for the brand-name medication has expired and are merely less expensive copies of the brand-name medication (Watson-Heidari, 2000). The use of this chemical name can cause some confusion because the brand name (which is different) is generally discarded and may not appear on the pill bottle at all. The chemical names are not nearly as catchy and easy to remember as the brand name, and confusion is a likely result. 

Professionals should educate their clients about the differences between generic and brand-name medications so that an educated choice can be made and clients will not think of the pill as something different or less effective. There are laws in virtually all states that allow pharmacists to substitute generic drugs for many brand-name products. Some states actually require that a generic must be substituted if it is available (Heidari, 2000). If a client does not want a generic medication or if the provider does not want the client to have one, the prescription should state this specifically. The social worker should check to see that the prescriber has written the words dispense as written or do not substitute so that the pharmacist is required to fill the prescription with the brand-name product requested. 

Medication (Brand Name) Usual Dosage (mg per day) Main Adverse Effects... 

Risperidone was launched in China in 1997. Following that, other atypical medication including olanzapine and quetiapine were introduced in the market in 1999 and 2000, respectively. These were followed by the development of generic arip-iprazole and ziprasadone in 2005 and 2006, respectively. Brand-name aripiprazole and ziprasadone will also be launched in 2007 in China. 

Haas JS, Phillips KA, Gerstenberger EP, Seger AC. Potential savings from substituting generic drugs for brand-name drugs medical expenditure panel survey, 1997-2000. Ann Intern Med 2005 142 891-7. 

Recently, many health advocates have become concerned with a prescription drug called OxyContin. Manufactured by Purdue Pharma, OxyContin is the brand name for the drug oxycodone hydrochloride. Concern about this drug is a result of its increasing non-medical abuse. In 2003, for example, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that about 2.8 million people older than 12 years of age had used OxyContin at least once non-medically. The problem, perhaps, is that OxyContin is extremely good at doing its job—pain relief. OxyContin is a powerful prescription medication used by millions of people annually to treat severe pain. 

Skillful practice of psychopharmacology requires a broad knowledge of psychiatry, pharmacology, and medicine. In this chapter, we present general principles relevant to the safe and effective use of psychotropic medications. In subsequent chapters, we discuss the major classes of psychotropic medications—antidepressants, anxiolytics, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, stimulants, and cognitive enhancers—and the disorders for which they are prescribed. The reader should be aware that this nomenclature is somewhat artificial for example, many antidepressant medications are also used to treat anxiety disorders. Generic names are used throughout this book. The appendix provides a fist of trade (brand) names. 

In 1997, the FDA approved sibutramine, a medication sold under the brand name Meridia. Sibutramine is an appetite suppressant prescribed for long-term treatment of severely obese patients. However, safety and effectiveness had not been determined when the sibutramine was taken for more than one year. 

The two best-known prescription diet pills being sold today are sibutramine (brand name Meridia) and orlistat (Xenical). Sibutramine is an appetite suppressant. Orlistat prevents the intestines from absorbing fat. Other medications exist, but they are less common, and people are only supposed to use them for short periods of time. 

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