Is Naltrexone Generic?

With prescriptions, brand name medications aren’t quite the same as a generic, but does it matter past the labelling?

What You’ll Learn:

• The difference between name brand and generic medications.
• If naltrexone is generic or not.
• If generic medications are any less or more effective.
• The safety and accessibility of generic medication.

Naltrexone is the active ingredient in generic medications that have been available for a long time. There have been name brand versions in the past, but today generic naltrexone in the pill form is what’s prescribed for alcohol use disorder.

Special Note: There is an injectable form of naltrexone that is a brand name prescription called Vivitrol.

Brand Name Prescriptions vs Generic Medications: The Key Difference

The key difference between a brand name and generic prescription drug is that brand name medications are from companies that did the research and development. They’ve conducted studies on the active ingredient and brand’s specific product to prove safety and efficacy.

This is exactly why brand name medications typically cost more than generic medications. The manufacturers of the name brand prescriptions need to recoup the cost of developing the medication that generics replicate.

Generic Naltrexone vs Brand Name Medications: Efficacy and Ingredients

One of the biggest concerns people have about generic medications is actually a misconception. A generic prescription drug works as well as brand name medications because it uses the same active ingredients as a name brand product. They also have to prove to be just as effective to get FDA approval using the same administration method and dose of naltrexone. One other important similarity is that generic meds must have the same purity level and quality level.

All-in-all, generic naltrexone works every bit as well as a name brand prescription. The only variation that you’ll see is slightly different inactive ingredients, which shouldn’t impact efficacy.

Brand Name vs Generic Naltrexone: Safety and Side Effects

Safety is another factor that should be the same for brand name and generic medications, including naltrexone. Just as with efficacy, a generic has to be just as safe as a brand name medication to get approval from the FDA.

Because the ingredients are so similar, particularly the active ingredients, the side effects are also generally the same. There might be some slight variation, but for the most part there’s no difference in side effects. The only instance where this might be different is if a person is allergic to an inactive ingredient that’s used in a generic medication.

Accessibility of Generic Naltrexone vs Brand Name Meds

On a whole, accessibility is much better when generics are available. Brand name medications tend to cost more because they need to recoup the cost for research and development. The benefit of having generics available is that it’s accessible to more people in terms of cost. But simply being available also makes a difference.

When more companies are manufacturing a medication, general availability increases. So when a medication can get offered as a generic, understand that it simply means the medication is being offered by more companies and at more price points. That means accessibility is far improved for everyone.

When you get a prescription for naltrexone online through Choose Your Horizon, it’s effective and affordable. Plus, the medication is conveniently shipped to your location. You can see if a naltrexone prescription is right for you by taking the Alcohol Use Assessment.

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