what is considered brand drugs?

Question

Certain health care policies for Medicare part D say they will cover generic and brand drugs. What are brand name drugs? Do they mean like Lipator, Norvast ect? Or is by pharmacutical companies name?

Answer 1

Brand names are those assigned to a drug prior to that drugs availability to become a generic (17yr patent law).

And yes, Lipitor is the brand name of Pfizer's drug.

Valium was the brand name the generic or chemical name of diazipam.

Every drug you see advertised on TV/RADIO/etc and the brand names...like Lunesta.

They Can charge more for the brand name since by law they own them and on other company can produce them without a contract or until the patent expires.

Answer 2

I think that lipator is a brand name. A pharmaceutical company like Merck can make lots of different drugs. Tylenol is a brand name, the generic is acetaminophen. Advil and Motrin are brand names for ibuprofen. Claritin is a brand name for loratadine. Some drugs don't have a generic because the pharmaceutical companies have patents on them.

Answer 3

yeah, brand name drugs have a cute tradename or "nick name" like Lipitor or Norvasc and are usually under patent and only made by 1 company. Generic drugs are basically copycats of the original patent; 17 years after a drug is discovered, the patent expires and then anybody who wants to can make it, and it goes by the chemical name instead of the trade name (for instance the generic of lipitor when it comes out will be atorvastatin and norvasc generic is amlodopine)

Answer 4

Brand name means it is only available under that name
However most brand names do have a generic available. I do not know in regards to the two medicines your referring, but if they did not cover them they would cover the generic, which is the exact same active ingredient, just made by a different manufactuer. For example, if you went to walgreens and wanted to by tylenol, they would not cover that, but they would cover the walgreens brand of the tylenol. Becuase it does the same thing at atlower cost.

also they have to cover it , i believe, if the doctor says brand only, and there is a place for them to check on the prescription itself.