Eli5: what is the difference between a generic drug to the original drug, and why do some doctors will swear by the original drug?

Question

Eli5: what is the difference between a generic drug to the original drug, and why do some doctors will swear by the original drug?

In: 1046

Answer 1

My mom is a doctor and she told me that sometimes she prescribes brands over generic (or more expensive brands over other brands) because of the ways she has seen the patients react to them. This is specially true for medicines that affect your stomach, so she would tell people that the brand was more expensive, but the stomach side effects would be milder, so it was up to them to choose.