As generic weight loss medications begin making their way to market, many patients have been questioning what generic medications are, and whether or not they’re safe to use.
This page will help you better understand everything you need to know about generic medications, and help you understand that they are as safe and effective to use as their brand name counterparts.
What are generic medications?
Generic medications are named after their main active ingredient.
Despite what a lot of people think, generic medications actually come after brand name medications have already been available for several years. When released, brand name medications have a patent during which time, the generic form can’t be sold.
For the first time, generic weight loss medications will be coming to Canada in 2026.
Are generic medications safe?
Yes. Generic medications are as safe and effective to use as brand named versions.
They function the same way on your body as a brand name version would, and the generic drug authorization process is just as thorough as it is for the brand name medications.
As long as you’ve been approved by your healthcare practitioner to use a brand name weight loss medication, you may be eligible to access the generic versions when they become available.
How generic medications are authorized for sale
The authorization process for generic medications is quite impressive in Canada, which is why we can comfortably say that generic drugs are safe to use.
The process itself involves Health Canada doing a very thorough review and testing on the medication to ensure that it meets three essential criteria:
- Safety
- Quality
- Efficacy
When it can be shown conclusively that it’s bioequivalently the same as its brand name equivalent, and the brand name medication is no longer on patent, an approved generic can be authorized for sale.
SIDE NOTE: Bioequivalence is just a fancy way of saying chemically identical in all three of these categories. Contrary to what some people believe, generic drugs are not ‘watered down’ versions of their brand name counterparts.
Potential risks and side effects of generics
The side effects of generic drugs are the same ones that would apply to their brand named equivalents. This has nothing to do with the specific name of the medication, but rather the medication’s impact on your body.
Inactive ingredients may vary between generic and brand name medications (i.e., filters, dyes, etc.), and in some cases, it’s these inactive ingredients that may cause a reaction in some patients.
As for specific side effects of generic drug active ingredients, you’ll have to talk to your healthcare practitioner about what type of side effects could occur, as well as how to manage generic medication side effects if they do start to happen.
With weight loss being a major talking point with generic medications right now, it’s good to note that with weight loss drugs, or any drugs for that matter, if side effects do occur, they may be mild or go away after your body has a chance to adjust to the treatments.
Advantages of choosing generic drugs
Although it’s hard to quantify the advantages of generic weight loss drugs due to the fact that they aren’t yet available on the market, there is a lot of buzz about the potential popularity of these medications once they are available.
With that in mind, some of the potential advantages of generic drugs could include:
- Cheaper cost for treatments
- Easier access for patients
- More market competition
More authorized generic versions from multiple manufacturers would increase market supply so more patients would have easier access, and it drives competition which lowers prices for all. Of course, these are only theoretical right now, because these aren’t yet available.
Disadvantages or limitations of generic medications
By the same token as advantages, trying to gauge the disadvantages of generic medicine or any potential risks of using generic medications instead of their brand name versions, is hard to do before they’re even in circulation and being used.
At this point, there really doesn’t seem to be any identifiable or quantifiable disadvantages to generic medications. If this changes in the future, once they’ve available for sale and being used by patients, we will be sure to update this section with any relevant information.
For the time being, you can rest assured that generic medications are safe, effective, and may even be substantially more affordable than brand name treatments.
Tips for using any medications safely
There are several things you shouldn’t do while taking any prescription medications:
- Don’t take more than one dose or take doses more often than prescribed
- Don’t take medications that have expired, are damaged, or have been negatively impacted by storage
- Don’t use generic prescription medications that have not been prescribed to you
If you have any other questions about using generic medications safely, we’d invite you to talk to your healthcare practitioner about it. They’ll be happy to answer any questions that you may have, so that you can continue your health management journey safely.
Tips for using generic medications safely
There’s one major tip that we can give you for using generic medications safely:
Follow the dosing and usage instructions provided to you by your healthcare practitioner and included on your prescription packaging.
In addition to that, you should not:
- Use ‘compounded’ medications that are not approved/regulated generic medications. *Felix only sources authorized for sale, true generic medications*
- Share generic medications with people who have not been prescribed them
When to talk to a practitioner about generic medications
Want to learn more about your overall health and wellness? Why not take a short longevity assessment, and talk with one of our healthcare practitioners about all the different ways you can start improving your health and quality of life.
This way, with Felix in your corner, you can take control of your health and get back to living life on your terms – the way it should be!
