Generic alternatives: how to find a cheaper brand of the same medicine in Pakistan

Brand name vs generic name

Every pack shows two names. The brand name is the company's name for its product. The generic name is the active ingredient, such as paracetamol, ciprofloxacin or omeprazole, and it is the same whichever company makes it. A doctor may write either. Our medicine glossary explains these and other pack terms.

How many brands are there?

DRAP's price index, which we searched, gives a sense of the choice. Counting entries whose composition includes the ingredient:

Entries include different strengths, forms and pack sizes, and combinations with other ingredients, so not every entry is a direct substitute.

Real price differences

Prices from DRAP's PharmaPrice Index as copied on 11 November 2026. Check the current price for your exact pack in the price search.

What must match before you switch

1. Active ingredientExactly the same, including any second ingredient in combination products.
2. StrengthThe same mg per tablet or mg per ml. 250 mg and 500 mg packs often look alike.
3. Form and release typeA plain tablet, an extended-release (ER, XR, SR) tablet and a capsule are not interchangeable. For example, our search shows metformin 500 mg sold both as ordinary and extended-release tablets, which are taken differently.
4. RouteTablet, syrup, injection, cream or drops are different products.
5. RegistrationA DRAP registration number on the pack; check it in the registration search.

When to ask your doctor before changing brand

For most short courses, switching to another registered brand of the same medicine is routine. Doctors are more careful with a few groups, where small differences between products can matter or where patients need consistency:

• anti-epileptic medicines;
• thyroid hormone;
• some heart-rhythm medicines and blood thinners;
• transplant and immune-suppressing medicines;
• insulin and other injectables;
• inhalers, where the device itself differs.

If you take any of these, do not switch without asking. For other medicines, it is still worth telling your pharmacist, and keeping the old and new packs apart so nobody takes a double dose by mistake.

Cheaper should not mean suspicious

A lower-priced registered brand is not a warning sign. A well-known brand sold far below its own printed price is. The difference: compare the price of each pack with its own MRP and with the official price in DRAP's index. Then scan the pack as usual. See how MRP works.

During a shortage

When your usual brand is unavailable, other brands of the same medicine are often the answer. Search the generic name, ask the pharmacist for a registered alternative, and tell your doctor. See medicine shortage for what to do and how to report it.

A worked example

Say your doctor prescribed ciprofloxacin 500 mg tablets and the brand on the prescription costs about Rs. 760 for ten. Read the generic name on the pack, then search "ciprofloxacin" in the price search. You will see many entries. Narrow them: keep only 500 mg, only plain tablets, only packs of 10. You are left with a long list of registered brands, some under Rs. 300. Show the pharmacist the list, pick one that is in stock, and confirm the new pack says ciprofloxacin 500 mg and carries a DRAP registration number. Finish the full course exactly as prescribed; changing brand never changes how long you take it.

Common mistakes when switching

• Matching the name, not the strength. Two brands of the same medicine may be sold in 250 mg and 500 mg; check every time.
• Mixing combination products. "Paracetamol" and "paracetamol + caffeine" or "paracetamol + orphenadrine" are different medicines.
• Taking both brands. When the old and new packs look different, people sometimes take one of each. Keep only one in use.
• Assuming imported means better. An imported brand is held to the same registration rules; a higher price is not proof of quality.
• Buying cheap from unknown sellers. The savings come from choosing a cheaper registered brand, not from buying a famous brand at a suspicious discount.

Questions to ask the pharmacist

• Is this the same ingredient, strength and form as my prescription?
• Is it a plain or an extended-release version?
• Does it need to be taken differently, for example with food?
• Can you show me the registration number and the batch and expiry?

A good pharmacist will be happy to answer. Sasti dawa lena galat nahi, bas yeh tasalli kar lein ke juz, taqat aur shakal wohi hai.

Mukhtasar

Aksar dawaen kai brands ke naam se milti hain jin mein wohi juz hota hai. Dabbay par generic naam aur strength dekhein aur hamare price check mein dhoondein. Juz, strength aur shakal (goli, ER goli, sharbat) bilkul wohi honi chahiye. Mirgi, thyroid, dil ki dharkan, transplant aur insulin jaisi dawaon mein brand badalne se pehle doctor se zaroor poochein.

Questions people ask

Is a cheaper brand of the same medicine as good?

Every brand registered by DRAP must meet the standards approved for it. For most medicines, a brand with the same active ingredient, strength and form works the same way. For a few medicines, such as some for epilepsy, thyroid, heart rhythm or transplant, doctors prefer patients to stay on one brand; ask before switching.

How do I find other brands of my medicine?

Find the generic name and strength on your pack, then search the generic name in our DRAP price search. It lists registered brands from DRAP's price index with their pack sizes and prices.

Can the pharmacist change my brand?

Ask the pharmacist to explain any change, and check that the active ingredient, strength and form are identical to what was prescribed. For long-term or sensitive medicines, check with your doctor too.

Why do brands of the same medicine have such different prices?

Prices are fixed product by product under the pricing policy, and reflect each company's registration, costs and brand. Our search found, for example, ciprofloxacin 500 mg packs of 10 listed between about Rs. 262 and Rs. 762.

Dawa ka sasta mutabadil kaise dhoondein?

Dabbay par generic naam aur strength dekhein, phir hamare price check mein generic naam likhein. Wohi juz aur strength wali doosri brands aur un ki qeemat nazar aayegi. Badalne se pehle doctor ya pharmacist se poochein.