Generic alternatives and generic equivalents to brand-name medications may help patients save money. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states that it ensures the safety and effectiveness of the generic drugs it approves.1 According to the FDA, a generic drug is identical, or bioequivalent, to a brand-name drug and is "required to have the same active ingredient, strength, dosage form and route of administration as the brand-name product."2
A generic alternative is not a direct generic for a particular branded medication, but in most cases it is in the same therapeutic class as the brand. Alternative drugs produce similar clinical outcomes and often have similar side-effect profiles.
Generic drug options
Please refer to the chart below for a list of common brand drugs and corresponding generic and over-the-counter (OTC) alternatives. When a generic equivalent to a brand is listed below, this format is used: name of equivalent generic followed by brand name in parentheses [e.g., benazepril (Lotensin)]. You can also download a
Humana generic drug guide
| Therapeutic class | Brand products | Generic and over-the-counter (OTC) alternatives |
|---|---|---|
Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors | Accupril, Aceon, Altace, Capoten, Lotensin, Mavik, Monopril, Prinivil, Univasc, Vasotec, Zestril | benazepril (Lotensin), captopril (Capoten), enalapril (Vasotec), fosinopril (Monopril), lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), moexipril (Univasc), perindopril (Aceon), quinapril (Accupril), ramipril (Altace), trandolapril (Mavik) |
Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) | Atacand, Avapro, Benicar, Cozaar, Diovan, Edarbi, Hyzaar, Micardis, Teveten | candesartan (Atacand), eprosartan (Teveten), irbesartan (Avapro), losartan (Cozaar), telmisartan (Micardis), valsartan (Diovan) |
Angiotensin II receptor antagonist/combinations | Atacand HCT, Avalide, Benicar HCT, Diovan HCT, Exforge, Exforge HCT, Micardis HCT, Teveten HCT | candesartan/HCTZ (Atacand HCT), eprosartan/HCTZ (Teveten HCT), irbesartan/HCTZ (Avalide), losartan/ HCTZ (Hyzaar), telmisartan/HCTZ (Micardis HCT), valsartan/amlodipine (Exforge), valsartan/amlodipine/HCTZ (Exforge HCT), valsartan/HCTZ (Diovan HCT) |
Antibiotics | Augmentin, Augmentin ES, Augmentin XR, Avelox, Cipro, Levaquin, Zithromax | amoxicillin/clavulanate (Augmentin, Augmentin ES, Augmentin XR), azithromycin (Zithromax), ciprofloxacin (Cipro), levofloxacin (Levaquin), moxifloxacin (Avelox) |
Anticoagulants | Arixtra, Coumadin, Eliquis, Jantoven, Lovenox, Pradaxa, Savaysa, Xarelto | enoxaparin injection (Lovenox), fondaparinux injection (Arixtra), warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven) |
Antidepressants | Celexa, Cymbalta, Effexor XR, Fetzima, Irenka, Khedezla, Lexapro, Marplan, Paxil, Paxil CR, Pristiq, Prozac, Sarafem, Savella, Wellbutrin, Wellbutrin XL, Viibryd | bupropion (Wellbutrin), bupropion XL (Wellbutrin XL), citalopram (Celexa), desvenlafaxine (Pristiq), duloxetine (Cymbalta), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), fluvoxamine CR (Luvox CR), nefazodone (Serzone), paroxetine (Paxil), paroxetine CR (Paxil CR), sertraline (Zoloft), venlafaxine (Effexor), venlafaxine XR (Effexor XR) |
Antiemetic agents | Anzemet, Compro, Emend, Kytril, Reglan, Tigan, Zofran, Zofran ODT, Zuplenz | granisetron (Kytril), metoclopramide (Reglan), ondansetron (Zofran, Zofran ODT, Zuplenz), prochlorperazine (Compro), trimethobenzamide (Tigan) |
Antiepileptic drugs | Aptiom, Banzel, Carbatrol, Depakote, Depakote ER, Diamox, Epitol, Felbatol, Fycompa, Gabitril, Keppra, Keppra XR, Lamictal, Lamictal XR, Lyrica, Neurontin, Oxtellar XR, Potiga, Sabril, Qudexy XR, Tegretol, Topamax, Trileptal, Trokendi XR, Vimpat, Zonegran | acetazolamide (Diamox), carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Epitol, Tegretol, Tegretol XR), divalproex (Depakote), divalproex extended release (Depakote ER), felbamate (Felbatol), gabapentin (Neurontin), lamotrigine (Lamictal), lamotrigine ER (Lamictal XR), levetiracetam (Keppra), levetiracetam extended-release (Keppra XR), oxcarbazepine (Trileptal), tiagabine (Gabitril), topiramate (Topamax), valproic acid (Depakote), zonisamide (Zonegran) |
Antifungals | Ancobon, Diflucan, Grifulvin V, Gris- Peg, Lamisil, Nizoral, Terbinex, VFend | fluconazole (Diflucan), flucytosine (Ancobon), griseofulvin (Grifulvin V, Gris-Peg), ketoconazole (Nizoral), nystatin (Mycostatin, Nystop), terbinafine (Lamisil), voriconazole (VFend) |
Antiglaucoma agents | Azopt, Betagan, Betimol, Cosopt, Istalol, Lumigan, Ocupress, Rescula, Timoptic, Travatan, Travatan Z, Trusopt, Xalatan, Zioptan | betaxolol (Betoptic), bimatoprost (Lumigan), carteolol (Ocupress), dorzolamide (Trusopt), dorzolamide/timolol (Cosopt), latanoprost (Xalatan), levobunolol (Betagan), metipranolol (OptiPranolol), timolol (Betimol, Istalol, Timoptic), travoprost (Travatan) |
Antihistamines | Allegra OTC, Allegra-D OTC, Clarinex, Clarinex-D, Claritin OTC, Claritin-D OTC, Xyzal, Zyrtec OTC, Zyrtec-D OTC | desloratadine (Clarinex), fexofenadine OTC (Allegra OTC), fexofenadine/ pseudoephedrine (Allegra-D OTC), levocetirizine (Xyzal), loratadine OTC (Claritin OTC), loratadine/pseudoephedrine OTC (Claritin-D OTC), cetirizine OTC (Zyrtec OTC), cetirizine/ pseudoephedrine OTC (Zyrtec-D OTC) |
Antimigraine agents | Alsuma, Amerge, Axert, Frova, Imitrex, Maxalt, Relpax, Sumavel, Treximet, Zomig | almotriptan (Axert), naratriptan (Amerge), rizatriptan (Maxalt), sumatriptan (Imitrex), zolmitriptan (Zomig) |
Antiplatelet | Aggrenox, Brilinta, Effient, Plavix | clopidogrel (Plavix), dipyridamole/aspirin (Aggrenox), ticlopidine (Ticlid) |
Antiparkinsonian agents | Apokyn, Azilect, Comtan, Eldepryl, Neupro, Mirapex, Parlodel, Requip, Requip XL, Stalevo, Tasmar | benztropine* (Cogentin), bromocriptine (Parlodel, Cycloset), cabergoline (Dostinex), entacapone (Comtan), pramipexole (Mirapex), ropinirole (Requip), ropinirole extended release (Requip XL), tolcapone (Tasmar), trihexyphenidyl* (Artane) |
Antiretrovirals | Combivir, Emtriva, Epivir, Epzicom, Retrovir, Trizivir, Videx, Viramune, Zerit, Ziagen | abacavir (Ziagen), abacavir/lamivudine/zidovudine (Trizivir), didanosine (Videx), lamivudine (Epivir), lamivudine/zidovudine (Combivir), nevirapine (Viramune), stavudine (Zerit), zidovudine (Retrovir) |
Antispasmodics | Detrol, Detrol LA, Ditropan, Ditropan XL, Enablex, Gelnique, Myrbetriq, Oxytrol, Pamine, Sanctura, Sanctura XR, Toviaz, Vesicare | flavoxate (Urispas), oxybutynin (Ditropan), oxybutynin ER* (Ditropan XL), tolterodine (Detrol), tolterodine ER (Detrol LA), trospium (Sanctura) |
Antivirals | Copegus, Cytovene, Famvir, Flumadine, Sitavig, Valcyte, Valtrex, Zovirax | acyclovir (Zovirax), famciclovir (Famvir), ganciclovir (Cytovene), ribavirin (Copegus), rimantadine (Flumadine), valacyclovir (Valtrex), valganciclovir (Valcyte) |
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) agents | Avodart, Cardura*, Cardura XL*, Flomax, Hytrin*, Jalyn, Proscar, Rapaflo, Uroxatral | alfuzosin SR (Uroxatral), doxazosin* (Cardura), finasteride (Proscar), tamsulosin (Flomax), terazosin* (Hytrin) |
Beta blockers | Bystolic, Coreg, Coreg CR, Inderal LA, Lopressor, Tenoretic, Tenormin, Toprol-XL, Zebeta, Ziac | atenolol (Tenormin), atenolol/chlorthalidone (Tenoretic), bisoprolol (Zebeta), bisoprolol/HCTZ (Ziac), carvedilol (Coreg, Coreg CR), metoprolol (Lopressor), metoprolol XL (Toprol-XL), propranolol LA (Inderal LA) |
Bisphosphonates | Actonel, Atelvia, Boniva, Fosamax | alendronate (Fosamax), ibandronate (Boniva), risedronate (Actonel) |
Calcium channel blockers | Adalat CC, Caduet, Calan, Cardene, DynaCirc CR, Lotrel, Norvasc, Sular, Plendil | amlodipine (Norvasc), amlodipine/benazepril (Lotrel), amlodipine/atorvastatin (Caduet), diltiazem (Cardizem, Cartia XT, Dilt-CD, Tiazac), felodipine (Plendil), isradipine (DynaCirc), nicardipine (Cardene), nifedipine (Adalat CC), nisoldipine (Sular), verapamil (Calan) |
Cholinesterase/N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) inhibitors | Aricept, Exelon, Namenda, Razadyne, Razadyne ER | donepezil (Aricept), galantamine (Razadyne), galantamine ER (Razadyne ER), rivastigmine (Exelon) |
Nasal corticosteroids | Beconase AQ, Flonase, Nasarel, Nasonex, Nasacort AQ, QNASL, Rhinocort Aqua, Veramyst, Zetonna | budesonide (Rhinocort Aqua), fluticasone (Flonase OTC), flunisolide (Nasarel), triamcinolone (Nasacort OTC) |
Opioids | Abstral, Actiq, Avinza, Butrans, Demerol, Dilaudid, Dolophine, Duragesic, Embeda, Exalgo, Fentora, Hysingla ER, Ibudone, Kadian, MS Contin, Opana ER, Oramorph SR, Oxycontin, Reprexain, Subutex, Suboxone, Zohydro ER | buprenorphine (Buprenex, Subutex, Suboxone), butorphanol (Stadol), codeine sulfate, fentanyl transdermal patch (Duragesic), hydromorphone (Dilaudid), levorphanol (Levo-Dromoran), meperidine (Demerol), methadone (Dolophine), morphine sulfate (Avinza), morphine sulfate ER (MS Contin/Oramorph SR), oxycodone (Oxycontin), oxymorphone ER (Opana ER), tramadol (Ultram) |
Ophthalmic agents: antihistamine | Bepreve, Elestat, Emadine, Lastacaft, Naphcon, Optivar, Pataday, Patanol, Pazeo | azelastine (Optivar), epinastine (Elestat), ketotifen (Zaditor OTC), naphazoline (Naphcon) |
Ophthalmic agents: antihistamine | Bepreve, Elestat, Emadine, Lastacaft, Naphcon, Optivar, Pataday, Patanol, Pazeo | azelastine (Optivar), epinastine (Elestat), ketotifen (Zaditor OTC), naphazoline (Naphcon) |
Ophthalmic agents: NSAID | Acular, Acular LS, Acular PF, Acuvail, Bromday, Ilevro, Nevanac, Ocufen, Prolensa, Voltaren, Xibrom | bromfenac (Xibrom), diclofenac (Voltaren), flurbiprofen (Ocufen), ketorolac (Acular/LS/PF) |
Proton pump inhibitors | Aciphex, Dexilant, Nexium, Prevacid, Prevacid SoluTab, Prilosec, Protonix, Zegerid | esomeprazole (Nexium OTC), lansoprazole (Prevacid OTC), omeprazole (Prilosec OTC), omeprazole/ sodium bicarbonate (Zegerid OTC), pantoprazole (Protonix), rabeprazole (Aciphex) |
Sedative-hypnotics† | Ambien, Ambien CR, Belsomra, Edluar, Intermezzo, Lunesta, Restoril, Rozerem, Silenor, Sonata | eszopiclone (Lunesta), temazepam (Restoril), trazodone (Desyrel), zaleplon (Sonata), zolpidem (Ambien), zolpidem CR (Ambien CR) |
Statins | Crestor, Lescol, Lescol XL, Lipitor, Livalo, Mevacor, Pravachol, Vytorin, Zocor | atorvastatin (Lipitor), fluvastatin (Lescol, Lescol XL), lovastatin (Mevacor), pravastatin (Pravachol), simvastatin (Zocor) |
Stimulants | Adderall, Adderall XR, Aptensio XR, Concerta, Daytrana, Focalin XR, Vyvanse, Zenzedi | dextroamphetamine salts extended-release (Adderall and Adderall XR), methylphenidate (Concerta) |
Please note: The information provided here does not include an exhaustive list of drug contraindications or recommended restrictions and precautions for all patients.
Sources
- "Generic Drug Facts," US Food & Drug Administration, last accessed December 3, 2018,
https://www.fda.gov/drugs/ resourcesforyou/consumers/buyingusingmedicinesafely/genericdrugs/ucm167991.htm. - "Generic Drug Facts."
Related links for more information
Tools and resources
Humana Drug Lists - Generic drugs
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