Have you received a different version of your usual branded medicine from your Boots Pharmacy team?

If your doctor has prescribed, or your pharmacist has dispensed, a generic alternative to your usual medication, you might notice some differences.

• The packaging is likely to be different to the original brand
• The colour of the medicine may not be the same
• There may be a difference in flavour between the medicines
• The non-active ingredients in the product might differ (for example, colourings, starches and sugars)

Don't worry, none of these differences should affect the way the medicine works. A generic medicine needs to comply with the same standards and be just as safe and effective as the branded medicine.

You can be sure that:

• It contains the same active ingredients - they're the ingredients that make the medicine work
• There will be the same amount of active ingredients. This means you can take the same dose as you would with the original
• It's been formulated to treat the same condition or disease
• It's interchangeable with the original as it acts in the same way on the body

There are also a number of checks every medicine has to go through in order to be sold in Ireland. These include:

• Being authorised and approved by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA)
• Ongoing monitoring for its safety and effectiveness

If you have any questions about your medicines, ask your doctor or Boots pharmacist in store.