A Generic drug is designed to work the same way in the body as the original brand-name drug and it is bio-equivalent to its original brand name.

If two different drug products provide the same bioavailability, then they are bioequivalent. Bioavailability is a measure of the rate and extent to which the therapeutically active ingredient in a drug product is absorbed into the body.

All drugs (brand-name and generic) are reviewed and authorized for sale by Health Canada before they are available for prescription.

Generic drugs have the same active ingredient (the chemical that makes the drug work) to work the same way in the body as the brand-name drug. Generic drugs must also have the same amount of active ingredient in the prescription.

To receive a license to manufacture and sell drugs in Canada, both brand-name companies and generic drug companies must follow the same Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)guidelines, which ensure consistent production and quality standards.

When a generic prescription drug has been reviewed and authorized for sale by Health Canada, it means the medicine is as safe and effective as the original brand-name drug and works the same way in the body.

In Canada, 700 million prescriptions were filled in 2018. More than 71% of all prescriptions were dispensed with generic medicines. That means, on average,everyday more than 1.3 million prescriptions were filled using generic medicine.