I’ve Never Taken Viagra: Is It OK to Start with a Generic?

Is a brand-name drug superior in any way to a generic formulation of the same medication? In price, for sure, but it’s unlikely the brand-name medication will perform any better than its generic equivalent. In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which oversees the approval and marketing of both brand-name and generic drugs, has very strict regulations to ensure the effectiveness and safety of both.

Under FDA regulations, generic copies of a brand-name drug must contain the same active ingredient. They also must have “the same strength, use indications, form (such as a tablet or an injectable), and route of administration (such as oral or topical),” according to FDA rules.

Inactive Ingredients Can Vary

The drug regulatory agency does, however, allow the use of different inactive ingredients in the production of generic drugs. Generally speaking, these are inert materials that are used as filler, flavoring or coloring agents, and preservatives. Although such materials, as their name indicates, are inactive, it is conceivable that an individual patient might experience an allergic reaction to one of these ingredients.

In most cases, he could simply switch to another generic or go back to the brand-name version of the drug.

When it comes to Viagra, two generic alternatives are on the U.S. market as of this writing. One is manufactured and marketed by Teva Pharmaceuticals, a major generic drugmaker, and the other comes from Greenstone LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Pfizer, which holds the patent on Viagra.

Both are marketed as sildenafil citrate, which is the active ingredient in the little blue pill. Absent an unlikely allergic reaction, there is no reason to believe that either of these generics is in any way inferior to Viagra in terms of safety or efficacy.

                                                                               * * *

eDrugstore.com, a longtime online facilitator based in Tempe, Arizona, can quickly and discreetly fill your online orders for Viagra or its generic equivalents. It may also be able to save you time and money in the process. To learn more, visit eDrugstore’s Erectile Dysfunction page.

eDrugStore Staff

We specialize in providing our over 1,000,000 customers with relevant product and condition information created by our professional editorial staff which includes our team of medical writers, medical practitioners, and health educators. eDrugStore.com Staff on Facebook