Genus Pharmaceuticals

Are you recruiting?: Although Genus Pharmaceuticals is expanding, there are no employment opportunities at present. When new opportunities arise, the positions will be advertised. Thank you for your interest.

Could I have the contact details of the Personnel Department?: The Genus HR Manager can be contacted via the main switchboard number or by emailing .; Back to top

Product

As a pharmacist can I buy direct from Genus Pharmaceuticals?: Genus Pharmaceuticals does not sell direct to pharmacists. We work with selected pharmaceutical wholesalers to whom we sell our products.

I am a private individual, can I buy direct from Genus Pharmaceuticals?: No, this is not possible. Please see the above response.

Can you send out details of your products?: There are some legal constraints. It is not possible to send out information, for prescription-only medicines, to other than to healthcare professionals including GPs, pharmacists and nurses, who can view these details in the secure area of our web site.. However information can be sent out to members of the public for Pharmacy and Over-The-Counter medicines.; Please so that we can confirm your professional involvement with healthcare.

Can you provide the security code to allow access to the closed area of your web site?: Access to the closed area of the Genus web site is restricted to healthcare professionals. Please so that we can confirm your professional involvement with healthcare.; Back to top

Generic Products

What are generic medicines?: Generic medicines are copies of an original branded medicine. When drug companies develop a new medicine they give it both a generic name and a brand name. As an example, Panadol is a brand name of a commonly used medicine; its generic name is Paracetamol, which is the active ingredient.

Are generic medicines as effective as branded?: Generic medicines are produced by companies who are subject to the same tight controls as companies who make branded products. In fact branded and generic medicines can often made by the same company.; Generic medicines contain the same active ingredients and dosage, and are identical in strength to the original medicine. They are therapeutically equivalent to their branded equivalent. This means that they work in the same way in the body and are associated with the same benefits and risks of the original medicine.; Different generic forms of the same medicine will not differ in their safety and clinical actions from each other or their branded equivalent. The Government employs a team of doctors, scientists and pharmacists who check the product to ensure it has been made to a high quality and is safe and effective. In the UK the licensing authority is the Medicines Control Agency.

What do generics look like?: There are both "plain" and "branded" generic medicines. Prescription-only generic medicines are usually plain or unbranded, whilst over-the-counter medicines - bought from a pharmacy or other shop - usually have a brand name.

Why do generic medicines sometimes look different?: Generic medicines may differ in their inactive ingredients - excipients - from the equivalent brand. This can affect the colour, shape, size and sometimes taste. This, however, is only the outward appearance and does not affect the active ingredient. You may notice this if you take regular medicines and your present supply looks different. Discuss any concerns with you doctor or pharmacist.

Can the side effects differ between generic and original medicines?: Rarely. As the generic and original medicine may contain different inactive ingredients - particularly preservatives, flavours or colours - there is a rare chance that a patient may suffer an allergic reaction to one of these ingredients that is not present in the other medicine. So a patient could suffer a reaction to an original medicine and not the generic medicine, or vice versa. Patient information leaflets provide valuable information on all the ingredients in a medicine. It is therefore important to read the patient information leaflet when starting a new medicine, and when switching from one company's medicine to the same medicine from another company.

Is there always a generic version of your medicine?: A company that first develops a new medicine is allowed to patent it, typically for 10 years. This allows them a period of exclusive supply, enabling them to recover their research and development costs. Other manufacturers can only produce generic equivalent medicines once the patent period of the branded company has finished. A limited number of branded products may also not have generic equivalents because of marketing reasons, e.g. limited demand.

What are the advantages of generic medicines?: Generic medicines usually cost a lot less than their branded equivalent, but ar as good. The average branded medicine costs more than four times its generic equivalent. Use of generics helps the NHS to treat more patients for the same money.; Back to top

Financial

Can you send me a copy of your annual report?: Genus Pharmaceuticals does not generate an annual report or financial review for external groups.

Can you tell me your turnover?: Genus Pharmaceuticals is part of the STADA Group of Companies. Financial performance metrics are reported within the STADA Annual Report.; Back to top