Any medication should only be used under medical guidance because they have indications, contraindications and adverse effects that must be evaluated by the doctor. Care must be redoubled in the case of children because they are more sensitive and react to medications differently.
Know the differences between branded, generic and similar drugs.
Branded Medicine
Branded medicines are the first to appear in pharmacies after several tests and have been approved by Anvisa, the agency that regulates the use of medicines in Brazil. These drugs are generally more expensive than generics and similar ones on the market, but they are all equally effective.
Generic drug
The generic drug is one that is sold by the name of the active ingredient used in the formula. Some laboratory brands that sell generic drugs are EMS, Medley, Eurofarma, Neo Química, Teuto, Merck and Novartis.
Before generic and similar drugs are marketed, they undergo rigorous quality tests and, therefore, are reliable. They are easily recognized by their packaging, are cheaper, are equally reliable to the brand, and can be found in all pharmacies and drugstores.
Similar Medication
Similar remedies on the market have the same active ingredient and the same presentation, which can be in syrup, tablet or suppository. The main differences between Similar and branded medicine are the expiration date and packaging, for example.
How to save on buying medicines
A strategy to spend less at the pharmacy or drugstore is to ask the doctor to prescribe the active ingredient of the drug, which makes it possible to buy generic or similar.
To buy a generic or similar medicine without a prescription, if you don't know the active ingredient of the medicine, just ask at the pharmacy counter for the generic or similar one of Cataflan or Feldene, for example. When mentioning the name of the branded medicine, the pharmacist soon knows what its generic and similar is, and can indicate the most appropriate.
Buying medicines at the popular pharmacy is also a great option. Another option that can be useful is to resort to home remedies that are made from herbal teas. See some examples in the category: Home remedies. But despite being useful in combating diseases, home remedies and herbal medicines should also be used with the knowledge of the doctor.
