What is a Generic?

"A generic drug is a copy that is the same as the brand-name drug in dosage, safety, strength, how it is taken, quality, performance and intended use. Generics have the same active ingredients as the brand-name and work the same way in the body in the same amount of time.
The only differences between generics and their brand-name counterparts is that generics are less expensive and may look different.
Generics are less expensive because generic manufacturers don’t have to invest large sums of money to invent a drug. The drug has already been invented by the brand-name company. Where the brand-name patent expires, generic companies can copy the drug and sell it at substantial discounts.
Generics look different than their brand-name counterparts (eg. the pill may have a different shape or color) because trademark laws do not allow a generic to look exactly like the brand-name drug."