Generic alternatives and generic equivalents to brand-name medications may help patients save money. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states that it ensures the safety and effectiveness of the generic drugs it approves.1 According to the FDA, a generic drug is identical, or bioequivalent, to a brand-name drug and is "required to have the same active ingredient, strength, dosage form and route of administration as the brand-name product."2
A generic alternative is not a direct generic for a particular branded medication, but in most cases it is in the same therapeutic class as the brand. Alternative drugs produce similar clinical outcomes and often have similar side-effect profiles.
Generic drug options
Please refer to the chart below for a list of common brand drugs and corresponding generic and over-the-counter (OTC) alternatives. When a generic equivalent to a brand is listed below, this format is used: name of equivalent generic followed by brand name in parentheses [e.g., benazepril (Lotensin)]. You can also download a , PDF opens new window
Humana generic drug guide
Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
Accupril, Aceon, Altace, Capoten, Lotensin, Mavik, Monopril, Prinivil, Univasc, Vasotec, Zestril
benazepril (Lotensin), captopril (Capoten), enalapril (Vasotec), fosinopril (Monopril), lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), moexipril (Univasc), perindopril (Aceon), quinapril (Accupril), ramipril (Altace), trandolapril (Mavik)
Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs)
Atacand, Avapro, Benicar, Cozaar, Diovan, Edarbi, Hyzaar, Micardis, Teveten
candesartan (Atacand), eprosartan (Teveten), irbesartan (Avapro), losartan (Cozaar), telmisartan (Micardis), valsartan (Diovan)
Angiotensin II receptor antagonist/combinations
Atacand HCT, Avalide, Benicar HCT, Diovan HCT, Exforge, Exforge HCT, Micardis HCT, Teveten HCT
candesartan/HCTZ (Atacand HCT), eprosartan/HCTZ (Teveten HCT), irbesartan/HCTZ (Avalide), losartan/ HCTZ (Hyzaar), telmisartan/HCTZ (Micardis HCT), valsartan/amlodipine (Exforge), valsartan/amlodipine/HCTZ (Exforge HCT), valsartan/HCTZ (Diovan HCT)
Antibiotics
Augmentin, Augmentin ES, Augmentin XR, Avelox, Cipro, Levaquin, Zithromax
amoxicillin/clavulanate (Augmentin, Augmentin ES, Augmentin XR), azithromycin (Zithromax), ciprofloxacin (Cipro), levofloxacin (Levaquin), moxifloxacin (Avelox)
Anticoagulants
Arixtra, Coumadin, Eliquis, Jantoven, Lovenox, Pradaxa, Savaysa, Xarelto
enoxaparin injection (Lovenox), fondaparinux injection (Arixtra), warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven)
Antidepressants
Celexa, Cymbalta, Effexor XR, Fetzima, Irenka, Khedezla, Lexapro, Marplan, Paxil, Paxil CR, Pristiq, Prozac, Sarafem, Savella, Wellbutrin, Wellbutrin XL, Viibryd
bupropion (Wellbutrin), bupropion XL (Wellbutrin XL), citalopram (Celexa), desvenlafaxine (Pristiq), duloxetine (Cymbalta), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), fluvoxamine CR (Luvox CR), nefazodone (Serzone), paroxetine (Paxil), paroxetine CR (Paxil CR), sertraline (Zoloft), venlafaxine (Effexor), venlafaxine XR (Effexor XR)
Antiemetic agents
Anzemet, Compro, Emend, Kytril, Reglan, Tigan, Zofran, Zofran ODT, Zuplenz
granisetron (Kytril), metoclopramide (Reglan), ondansetron (Zofran, Zofran ODT, Zuplenz), prochlorperazine (Compro), trimethobenzamide (Tigan)
Antiepileptic drugs
Aptiom, Banzel, Carbatrol, Depakote, Depakote ER, Diamox, Epitol, Felbatol, Fycompa, Gabitril, Keppra, Keppra XR, Lamictal, Lamictal XR, Lyrica, Neurontin, Oxtellar XR, Potiga, Sabril, Qudexy XR, Tegretol, Topamax, Trileptal, Trokendi XR, Vimpat, Zonegran
acetazolamide (Diamox), carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Epitol, Tegretol, Tegretol XR), divalproex (Depakote), divalproex extended release (Depakote ER), felbamate (Felbatol), gabapentin (Neurontin), lamotrigine (Lamictal), lamotrigine ER (Lamictal XR), levetiracetam (Keppra), levetiracetam extended-release (Keppra XR), oxcarbazepine (Trileptal), tiagabine (Gabitril), topiramate (Topamax), valproic acid (Depakote), zonisamide (Zonegran)
Antifungals
Ancobon, Diflucan, Grifulvin V, Gris- Peg, Lamisil, Nizoral, Terbinex, VFend
fluconazole (Diflucan), flucytosine (Ancobon), griseofulvin (Grifulvin V, Gris-Peg), ketoconazole (Nizoral), nystatin (Mycostatin, Nystop), terbinafine (Lamisil), voriconazole (VFend)
Antiglaucoma agents
Azopt, Betagan, Betimol, Cosopt, Istalol, Lumigan, Ocupress, Rescula, Timoptic, Travatan, Travatan Z, Trusopt, Xalatan, Zioptan
betaxolol (Betoptic), bimatoprost (Lumigan), carteolol (Ocupress), dorzolamide (Trusopt), dorzolamide/timolol (Cosopt), latanoprost (Xalatan), levobunolol (Betagan), metipranolol (OptiPranolol), timolol (Betimol, Istalol, Timoptic), travoprost (Travatan)
Antihistamines
Allegra OTC, Allegra-D OTC, Clarinex, Clarinex-D, Claritin OTC, Claritin-D OTC, Xyzal, Zyrtec OTC, Zyrtec-D OTC
desloratadine (Clarinex), fexofenadine OTC (Allegra OTC), fexofenadine/ pseudoephedrine (Allegra-D OTC), levocetirizine (Xyzal), loratadine OTC (Claritin OTC), loratadine/pseudoephedrine OTC (Claritin-D OTC), cetirizine OTC (Zyrtec OTC), cetirizine/ pseudoephedrine OTC (Zyrtec-D OTC)
Antimigraine agents
Alsuma, Amerge, Axert, Frova, Imitrex, Maxalt, Relpax, Sumavel, Treximet, Zomig
almotriptan (Axert), naratriptan (Amerge), rizatriptan (Maxalt), sumatriptan (Imitrex), zolmitriptan (Zomig)
Antiplatelet
Aggrenox, Brilinta, Effient, Plavix
clopidogrel (Plavix), dipyridamole/aspirin (Aggrenox), ticlopidine (Ticlid)
Antiparkinsonian agents
Apokyn, Azilect, Comtan, Eldepryl, Neupro, Mirapex, Parlodel, Requip, Requip XL, Stalevo, Tasmar
benztropine* (Cogentin), bromocriptine (Parlodel, Cycloset), cabergoline (Dostinex), entacapone (Comtan), pramipexole (Mirapex), ropinirole (Requip), ropinirole extended release (Requip XL), tolcapone (Tasmar), trihexyphenidyl* (Artane)
Antiretrovirals
Combivir, Emtriva, Epivir, Epzicom, Retrovir, Trizivir, Videx, Viramune, Zerit, Ziagen
abacavir (Ziagen), abacavir/lamivudine/zidovudine (Trizivir), didanosine (Videx), lamivudine (Epivir), lamivudine/zidovudine (Combivir), nevirapine (Viramune), stavudine (Zerit), zidovudine (Retrovir)
Antispasmodics
Detrol, Detrol LA, Ditropan, Ditropan XL, Enablex, Gelnique, Myrbetriq, Oxytrol, Pamine, Sanctura, Sanctura XR, Toviaz, Vesicare
flavoxate (Urispas), oxybutynin (Ditropan), oxybutynin ER* (Ditropan XL), tolterodine (Detrol), tolterodine ER (Detrol LA), trospium (Sanctura)
Antivirals
Copegus, Cytovene, Famvir, Flumadine, Sitavig, Valcyte, Valtrex, Zovirax
acyclovir (Zovirax), famciclovir (Famvir), ganciclovir (Cytovene), ribavirin (Copegus), rimantadine (Flumadine), valacyclovir (Valtrex), valganciclovir (Valcyte)
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) agents
Avodart, Cardura*, Cardura XL*, Flomax, Hytrin*, Jalyn, Proscar, Rapaflo, Uroxatral
alfuzosin SR (Uroxatral), doxazosin* (Cardura), finasteride (Proscar), tamsulosin (Flomax), terazosin* (Hytrin)
Beta blockers
Bystolic, Coreg, Coreg CR, Inderal LA, Lopressor, Tenoretic, Tenormin, Toprol-XL, Zebeta, Ziac
atenolol (Tenormin), atenolol/chlorthalidone (Tenoretic), bisoprolol (Zebeta), bisoprolol/HCTZ (Ziac), carvedilol (Coreg, Coreg CR), metoprolol (Lopressor), metoprolol XL (Toprol-XL), propranolol LA (Inderal LA)
Bisphosphonates
Actonel, Atelvia, Boniva, Fosamax
alendronate (Fosamax), ibandronate (Boniva), risedronate (Actonel)
Calcium channel blockers
Adalat CC, Caduet, Calan, Cardene, DynaCirc CR, Lotrel, Norvasc, Sular, Plendil
amlodipine (Norvasc), amlodipine/benazepril (Lotrel), amlodipine/atorvastatin (Caduet), diltiazem (Cardizem, Cartia XT, Dilt-CD, Tiazac), felodipine (Plendil), isradipine (DynaCirc), nicardipine (Cardene), nifedipine (Adalat CC), nisoldipine (Sular), verapamil (Calan)
Cholinesterase/N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) inhibitors
Aricept, Exelon, Namenda, Razadyne, Razadyne ER
donepezil (Aricept), galantamine (Razadyne), galantamine ER (Razadyne ER), rivastigmine (Exelon)
Nasal corticosteroids
Beconase AQ, Flonase, Nasarel, Nasonex, Nasacort AQ, QNASL, Rhinocort Aqua, Veramyst, Zetonna
budesonide (Rhinocort Aqua), fluticasone (Flonase OTC), flunisolide (Nasarel), triamcinolone (Nasacort OTC)
Opioids
Abstral, Actiq, Avinza, Butrans, Demerol, Dilaudid, Dolophine, Duragesic, Embeda, Exalgo, Fentora, Hysingla ER, Ibudone, Kadian, MS Contin, Opana ER, Oramorph SR, Oxycontin, Reprexain, Subutex, Suboxone, Zohydro ER
buprenorphine (Buprenex, Subutex, Suboxone), butorphanol (Stadol), codeine sulfate, fentanyl transdermal patch (Duragesic), hydromorphone (Dilaudid), levorphanol (Levo-Dromoran), meperidine (Demerol), methadone (Dolophine), morphine sulfate (Avinza), morphine sulfate ER (MS Contin/Oramorph SR), oxycodone (Oxycontin), oxymorphone ER (Opana ER), tramadol (Ultram)
Ophthalmic agents: antihistamine
Bepreve, Elestat, Emadine, Lastacaft, Naphcon, Optivar, Pataday, Patanol, Pazeo
azelastine (Optivar), epinastine (Elestat), ketotifen (Zaditor OTC), naphazoline (Naphcon)
Ophthalmic agents: antihistamine
Bepreve, Elestat, Emadine, Lastacaft, Naphcon, Optivar, Pataday, Patanol, Pazeo
azelastine (Optivar), epinastine (Elestat), ketotifen (Zaditor OTC), naphazoline (Naphcon)
Ophthalmic agents: NSAID
Acular, Acular LS, Acular PF, Acuvail, Bromday, Ilevro, Nevanac, Ocufen, Prolensa, Voltaren, Xibrom
bromfenac (Xibrom), diclofenac (Voltaren), flurbiprofen (Ocufen), ketorolac (Acular/LS/PF)
Proton pump inhibitors
Aciphex, Dexilant, Nexium, Prevacid, Prevacid SoluTab, Prilosec, Protonix, Zegerid
esomeprazole (Nexium OTC), lansoprazole (Prevacid OTC), omeprazole (Prilosec OTC), omeprazole/ sodium bicarbonate (Zegerid OTC), pantoprazole (Protonix), rabeprazole (Aciphex)
Sedative-hypnotics†
Ambien, Ambien CR, Belsomra, Edluar, Intermezzo, Lunesta, Restoril, Rozerem, Silenor, Sonata
eszopiclone (Lunesta), temazepam (Restoril), trazodone (Desyrel), zaleplon (Sonata), zolpidem (Ambien), zolpidem CR (Ambien CR)
Statins
Crestor, Lescol, Lescol XL, Lipitor, Livalo, Mevacor, Pravachol, Vytorin, Zocor
atorvastatin (Lipitor), fluvastatin (Lescol, Lescol XL), lovastatin (Mevacor), pravastatin (Pravachol), simvastatin (Zocor)
Stimulants
Adderall, Adderall XR, Aptensio XR, Concerta, Daytrana, Focalin XR, Vyvanse, Zenzedi
dextroamphetamine salts extended-release (Adderall and Adderall XR), methylphenidate (Concerta)
*May not be appropriate for persons ages 65 years and older; † indicated for short-term use only.
Please note: The information provided here does not include an exhaustive list of drug contraindications or recommended restrictions and precautions for all patients.
Please note: The information provided here does not include an exhaustive list of drug contraindications or recommended restrictions and precautions for all patients.
Sources
- "Generic Drug Facts," US Food & Drug Administration, last accessed December 3, 2018, , opens new window
- "Generic Drug Facts."