Online prescription pharmacies in the USA sell two types of medicines, branded and generic. Over the years, generic medicines have become more popular than branded ones. This can be attributed to a growing level of awareness among the people.

Generic medicines have the same active components as the branded ones. Active ingredients can be defined as chemicals that treat medical conditions. Given the fact that they contain the same ingredients as the branded ones, generics also result in the same side effects as the others. So in a nutshell, generic drugs are bioequivalent to their branded alternatives but are available at more affordable prices.

So why do branded drugs cost more than the generic ones? The difference lies not in the ingredients but in the copyright details. When ever a drug-making organization develops a new drug, it pays for the copyrights and also retains the right for advertising and selling and this pushes up the cost. Then again, the new product has a patent which enables the firm to profit exclusively for the sale of the drug. The firm also needs the money to earn back its investment in research and other development finances.

However, once the patent expires, other pharmaceutical establishments can reproduce the branded medicine into generics. Given that these companies did not spend money on research, they can sell the drugs cheaply. Then again, they need to offer a lower price alternative to attract the customers. Since people prefer affordable drugs, the generic manufacturer earn faster than brand-name companies.

As already stated above, generic drugs use the same components as branded ones. In fact, the US FDA ensures that all generic manufacturers abide by this requirement. You may also be surprised to know that about 50 percent of the generics in the market are also created by companies engaged in manufacturing branded medicines. So customers should not be surprised if the generic contains varying chemical components. The US trademark laws ban generics from looking exactly like the branded counterparts. So in order to maintain the difference, generic drugs feature varying inactive chemicals. So as a buyer, you should not worry as these ingredients do not alter the drug's effects.

Both branded and generic drugs are available at various online prescription pharmacies. These pharmacy websites feature various kinds of drugs and allow customers to order generic medications. Also buying on the internet is cheaper because these online prescription pharmacies have lower overhead costs than brick-and-mortar stores and can pass off some savings to the customers in the form of discounts and lower rates.

Buying generics medication online also allows for convenience in that people do not have to leave the house. A person no longer has to wait in line at land-based pharmacies. All it takes is logging on to the computer, picking the best online prescription pharmacy USA site, and placing the order.