"About 80 percent of all U.S. prescriptions are filled with generics, according to healthcare information provider IMS Health. When a doctor prescribes a brand-name drug, state laws allow pharmacists to automatically substitute the cheaper generic version in filling the prescription. Bartlett's doctor prescribed the brand-name Clinoril, and her pharmacist filled it with the generic sulindac."  (excerpt from article below)

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/03/18/top-court-to-hear-arguments-over-generic-drugmaker-liability/#ixzz2O1qUTPKY

"I think generic drugs should be held accountable for the harm they do to people, just like brand-name drugs should be"

I agree. I think if a generic drug company is making a profit off of a product they are selling to consumers then they should assume the risk when something goes wrong.

Summary:

1. Ibuprofen is a generic drug while Motrin is a branded drug.
2. Ibuprofen is cheaper than Motrin.
3. Motrin has more forms of availability than ibuprofen such as syrups, capsules, tablets, and chewable forms.
4. Both drugs are indicated for mild pain and fever.

Read more: Difference Between Motrin and Ibuprofen | Difference Between | Motrin vs Ibuprofen http://www.differencebetween.net/science/health/drugs-health/difference-between-motrin-and-ibuprofen/#ixzz2OZSb6whr

This is marginally off topic and purely anecdotal, but I have my misgivings about generic drugs based on something we experienced many times over through my grandmother.  My mother got Gramma's drugs from the pharmacy and metered them out so my grandmother was none the wiser (not on purpose just as a matter of circumstance) if she was getting the generic or name brand.  Regardless of the medication, she never failed to feel the difference saying something like, "I think I got a bad batch of these," not knowing that it was the first pill of a new bottle of something we'd just switched to the generic.  She could FEEL the difference either in side effects or efficacy; there was no other explanation unless she had some kind of freakish ESP.  (Which, is another story altogether...for another day.)  It happened again and again over the years with different drug pairs.  So, as nutty as it might be to base any of my beliefs on purely anecdotal evidence I don't trust the generics to be exactly the same thing as their more expensive brethren and tend to avoid them.

Back in the mid 90s, a dr I know prescribed a med for a pt and checked off the generic option.

Well, this client voiced concerns that the generic med would not be the same as the brand name that she had positive results with and she wanted the brand name.

 He ignored her and made a comment that the taxpayers were paying for her meds, he insisted that the generic drug was the correct choice for her.

She filed a complaint as she felt she was being discriminated against because she was on public assistance... she won.

The dr was reprimanded.

In response to kargiver's comment:

Actually, I believe there is an FDA rule that allows generics to be within 20% off their stated dosage, at least for over the counter drugs. I'm not entirely sure whether that or another similar rule applies to scheduled prescription drugs, but it is something to look into for anyone interested.

 

 

In response to WhatDoYouWantNow's comment:

I just saw this...wow.  Now, that would explain it.  I'd bet anything the same thing is true for prescriptions...she could tell the difference - how else could it be?