US Medical Term · medicines
Generic Drug
Medicamento Genérico
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Generic Drug |
| Spanish (Español) | Medicamento Genérico |
| Chinese (中文) | 仿制药 |
| Korean (한국어) | 제네릭 의약품 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Thuốc gốc |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Generic na Gamot |
| Portuguese (Português) | Medicamento Genérico |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | ยาสามัญ |
| Japanese (日本語) | 後発医薬品（ジェネリック） |
What it means
A generic drug is a medication that contains the same active ingredient, dosage form, strength, and route of administration as a brand-name drug, but is marketed under its chemical name after the brand's patent expires. Generic drugs are approved by the FDA and are therapeutically equivalent to their brand-name counterparts. They are significantly cheaper — often 80–85% less costly — and are placed in the lowest-cost formulary tiers. Requesting generics from your prescriber and pharmacist is a key way to reduce medication costs.
Related terms
Related guide
→ US Guide: prescriptions generics and discount programsSources
Last reviewed: September 2026