2 Types of Viagra – Brand-Name and Generic

For hundreds of years, people have been buying medications to heal themselves and eliminate any ailments. Just several decades ago, it was very common to visit your local pharmacy, which had a standard set of drugs for different purposes. Treatment was simply a matter of seeing the doctor, getting a prescription, and obtaining it from a store. Although the process has generally changed very little to this day, the way we buy drugs now has certainly become more complex. Apart from an exponential increase of drug variants for every illness, there are many other small things that make a successful purchase difficult to achieve.

One of the biggest issues we can add to this category is the matter of generic drugs vs. brand-name drugs. There are many people who simply have no understanding of how the two concepts are alike and different and are thus unable to choose between them, especially when it comes to a drug as common as Viagra (sildenafil). Hopefully, this article will shed some light on the two categories of Viagra and help you choose the one you need.

The differences

To understand the main difference between brand-name and generic Viagra, we should point out how the drugs come to be. A brand-name drug is a wholly original product with no existing equivalent, at least at the time of its creation. A company will usually devote years of research and millions of dollars before they come up with a drug that is successful. Once a breakthrough in development is made, the company will proceed to test the drug and modify it so that it is safe for consumption. After this phase is complete, they can submit it to a government agency for approval, and receive a patent, which grants them exclusive rights to sell this drug. This patent stays in force for a limited amount of time, but in that time, the company is the only one who can produce and sell the drug, as well as set any kind of pricing they like. Given the costs of development and testing, coupled with the desire to make a big profit, it’s no surprise that many drug makers set unreasonably high prices.

For many years, brand-name Viagra was the only version of the drug available, and even if you buy it today, you will still get the same thoroughly-tested, high-quality product, albeit one with an expensive price tag. On the other hand, you can now buy generic Viagra, whose contrasts with the brand-name version are stark. Firstly, the generic version of Viagra was only introduced some time after the original drug’s patent expired (or became void in certain jurisdictions). However, generic Viagra is produced by many different companies instead of one.

They still use the same formula and standards as the original drug, but can “tweak” the product, changing its size, shape, color, and certain other attributes. For example, Viagra Professional and Viagra Super Active are two highly popular generic versions that have their own unique effects and characteristics, despite staying true to the intention of the standard Viagra drug. The fact that many different companies are allowed to produce generic Viagra brings us to another major difference – pricing. The abundance of competitors producing generic Viagra, coupled with the fact that there is no further need for development and testing of the product causes prices to drop. It is generally known that you can buy generic Viagra at a price that is very close to the cost of production, whereas brand-name Viagra will cost several times more.

The similarities

The difference in pricing between generic Viagra and the brand-name version causes many people to worry that buying generic will grant them an inferior product. However, these worries can be easily assuaged by examining the similarities between the two drug categories. Firstly, both brand-name Viagra and generic Viagra have the same active ingredient – Sildenafil Citrate. Both of them are used to treat erectile dysfunction, and both of them work in the same way: after the drug enters the bloodstream, blood flow to the penis is improved, and erection becomes possible. Despite the many existing “tweaked” and “improved” generic versions, the two categories have the same indications, contraindications, side effects, and administration guidelines. Both brand name Viagra and generic Viagra are thoroughly tested by the relevant government agencies and approved only after being deemed safe. In the case of generic Viagra, the relevant agencies will make sure that any minor changes (color, shape, size) in generic Viagra have not significantly altered the level of equivalence between the two categories.

Obtaining Brand-Name and Generic Viagra

Brand-name Viagra is available all around the world and is typically sold in pharmacies and medical establishments. These businesses are keen to capitalize on Viagra’s popularity, so they tend to keep Viagra well stocked. However, the nuisance of driving many miles to these pharmacies and paying an exorbitant price for a basic product makes brand name Viagra the second favored choice for millions of consumers.

Other Information about Brand Viagra you find here: http://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-7417-297/viagra-oral/sildenafil-erectile-dysfunction—oral/details

Generic Viagra is not sold in pharmacies, making it difficult to obtain when in urgent need of resupply, but there are workarounds that make it much more convenient. The usual medium where generic Viagra is sold is the internet. Today, you can find countless online pharmacies offering generic Viagra, and many of them offer regular resupply deliveries so that you have a nice stock ready for when you need it most. When you find a trusted supplier, you will be able to buy generic Viagra at the lowest prices, and it will be delivered straight to your house, without the need to drive anywhere or experience embarrassment during the purchasing process.