Generic medicines, like painkillers and cold remedies, often contain the same active ingredients as expensive brands. They may differ in some respects, however, such as in taste or appearance. There has been a great deal of misunderstanding about what generic drugs are and how effective they are. Many people mistakenly believe that brand-name drugs are always better and will complain loudly if their doctor does not write DAW (dispense as written) on their prescription. Generic Drugs: The Same, but Not The law requires them to be the same as brand-name drugs in all ways that matter. But what science considers important is a moving target. January 03, 2018 Is there a difference between generic and name-brand ibuprofen? Infrequently Asked Questions seeks the answer But there may be differences between brand name and generic drugs. Although the active ingredient must be the same as the original drug, generics may include different inactive ingredients such as preservatives or fillers. Generic companies have to use the same quality standards in order to have a product approved for sale in a pharmacy. Imagine the manufacturing technology that pharma companies used back in the 1950's when Ibuprofen was first launched; generic pharma facilities are much more modern. One Hour Martinizing might sound like a quaint or obscure term these days, but 70 years ago, the new process completely changed the laundry industry. There is no difference between ibuprofen and ibuprofen B. Both areused for the reduction of pain and fever and come in prescriptionand non-prescription strengths. The price difference between the gasoline at the name-brand stations, such as Exxon/Mobil, and off-brand stations can be about 20 cents a gallon. That amounts to $14 a month for the average. Should buy the brand name, as in Unisom over the generic store-brand doxylamine succinate? No—like with pain relievers, there's little to no difference at all between them. There may be some.