Which statement best describes brand name and generic drug names?

• A. Brand name is the chemical name; generic is the marketing name; they refer to different ingredients.
• B. Brand name and generic names are always different active ingredients.
• C. Brand name is the marketed name; generic is the chemical name; both refer to the same active ingredient; verify with MAR.
• D. Brand name is used only for over-the-counter products; generic for prescriptions.

Answer: (C)

Brand name is the marketed, trademarked name given by the drug’s manufacturer, while the generic name is the nonproprietary chemical name for the same active ingredient. They refer to the same medication, just labeled differently. In practice, the MAR may list either name to help you identify the drug, but what matters for safe administration is recognizing the active ingredient and its strength. Generics must be bioequivalent to the brand-name product, so they provide the same therapeutic effect. The other statements mix up which name is the chemical one or imply different ingredients, or incorrectly limit brand names to over-the-counter products.