Generic Medicine Information
Generic medicines, why are they cheaper than branded medicine
know everything about generic medicines
Due to the cheapness of generic drugs, people start doubting their quality and their potency, perhaps because they do not know the truth about generic drugs. There is a lack of awareness due to the lack of knowledge of common people and misleading publicity about this. In my opinion, all doctors should be told about generic medicine so that the patient can benefit financially. Usually, when patients go to private hospitals, they have prescribed the same medicines that are available at their own medical stores.
In such a situation, the patient is compelled to buy the same medicine. Now it comes to why doctors do not write and why information is not given about it, you will have to complete it in detail. Generic Medicine Information.
Generic Medicines are generally called those medicines which do not have their own brand name, they are known in the market by their salt name. Although some medicines also have brand names, they are very cheap and come under generic drugs. All kinds of misconceptions are also seen in the minds of people regarding generic medicines.
Due to the cheapness of generic medicines, their quality is also questioned, while experts believe that there is a need to dispel the misconceptions related to generic medicines among people. Because it is cheap as well as effective.
Generic medicines also contain the same salt that the branded companies have. In fact, when the monopoly is eliminated from the salt mixture and production of branded drugs, then generic medicines are made using their formulas and salts. Therefore, generic drugs are similar to their counterparts, except for packaging, branding, and marketing. Generic Medicine Information.
Why are generic medicines cheaper than branded medicines?
(1) When a company manufactures a new drug, it incurs substantial costs on research, development, marketing, promotion, and branding, but generic drugs are first developed using their formulations and salts after the developers’ patents expire. She goes. Therefore, the cost of research and production for generic drug manufacturers is low. Furthermore, manufacturing generic drugs does not involve the cost of repeated clinical trials on humans and animals, as all these trials have already been done by the original manufacturers.
(2) Generic drugs are widely sold in simple ways without marketing, promotion, and selling strategies. Due to this, the prices of these medicines have a great effect, due to which their prices are much cheaper than other branded medicines. Also, these medicines do not require special and brand-specific packaging. Hence these medicines are even more affordable and easily available to all people. This is the reason why the government also encourages the use of generic drugs as they are more accessible and affordable. Generic Medicine Information.
(3) When generic drugs are introduced, the supply stock shifts from branded drugs only, which are often limited to branded plus generics in quantity and in higher quantities. Hence the supply of generic medicines increases. According to the simple law of economics, when the supply increases, the prices of generic drugs fall, regardless of whether the demand for the drugs remains more or less stable. Because of this, generic medicines are becoming many times cheaper than other branded medicines.
Generic medicines are as effective as branded medicines
The same formulas and salts are used in making generic medicines, which have already been used by branded companies. Therefore generic medicines have the same risks and benefits as brand-name medicines. Generic drugs are approved only after a rigorous review to ensure they meet all safety and quality standards. Therefore, generic medicine will also have the same effect on the human body as patent medicine. If generic drugs are taken at the same dosages and precautions as brand-name drugs, they will have the same effect as brand-name drugs. Generic medicines also meet the same quality and high standards of manufacturing as patented products. This standard applies to all generic drugs.
How to identify which medicine is generic and which is not?
Generic drugs often have the same or different names as the original drugs. Chemists are well-versed in the salts used in generic medicines and they can also inform customers about them. The name of the medicine is one of the important indicators for its identification. Similarly, for the identification of generic drugs, a search can be done on the Internet through salt names, which helps in identifying them. Along with this, the prices of generic drugs are much lower than the brand name drugs and they have the same effect. There are many myths and taboos about the use of generic medicines in the market. A common belief among them is that generic medicines are not effective. These medicines take a long time to take effect, they are manufactured using substandard materials and they are not safe. However, all these assumptions have proved to be wrong and baseless. Generic medicines are completely safe, effective, accessible to all, and affordable.
Aarushi Jain, Executive Director, of Stayhappy Pharmacy says, “The medicines are made from salts and molecules. Therefore, while buying medicines, attention should always be paid to their salt and not to any company under whose name the medicine is being sold. The only major difference between generic and branded drugs is the marketing strategies used to build an image and drive sales. Over the years, the drug industry, and drug makers have built an image of branded drugs as a better alternative to generic drugs.
Below is the list of sites where you can find the Generic Medicine name with respect to branded medicines.
1. MyDawaai.
2. MediIndia.
3. MIMS.
4. HEALTHKARTPLUS.
5. Getdavai.
6. MEDGUIDEINDIA.
7. JanAushadhi.
8. NeedyMeds.
According to the report of Dainik Bhaskar –
• Preparing to amend the law to provide affordable medicines to patients
• However, by not making it mandatory for doctors to prescribe generic medicines, patients will benefit from price control
• The difference between the prices of branded drugs and generic drugs is also up to 204 times
New Delhi. The government is preparing to amend the law to provide affordable medicines to patients. After this, doctors will have to prescribe only generic medicine for patients and not of any particular brand or company. Even after this, there is no guarantee that patients will start getting cheaper medicines, because there is no control over the print rate of generic drugs, that is, the price printed on these drugs. Dr. Hemant Jain, a member of IMA and Professor at the Medical College, told Bhaskar APP that the pharmacist gets a commission from 5 to 20 percent on branded medicine, but the print rate of generic medicine and the retailer’s purchase price ranges from 50 times to 350 times. There is a difference. 10 paise B complex sells for up to Rs 35. It does not benefit the general public or patients as much as it should. In such a situation, the government also needs to rein in the print rate of generic medicine, otherwise, the public will not get any benefit.
Generally, all medicines are a kind of “chemical salt”. They are made after research for different diseases. A generic medicine is known by the name of the salt from which it is made. For example- If a company sells paracetamol salt, which is used in pain and fever, then it will be called generic medicine. Whereas, when it is sold under a brand name like Crocin, it is called a branded medicine of that company. It is that generic medicine is available for just 10 paise to 1.5 rupees per tablet for everyday problems like cold cough, fever, and body aches. The same medicine in branded ranges from Rs 1.5 to Rs 35.
Huge differences in the prices of medicines available in government hospitals
Dr. Indranil Mukhopadhyay of the Jan Swasthya Abhiyan, which is working to provide affordable medicines to the people and change government policies, says – There is a lot of difference between India and abroad regarding generic medicines. There has been no effective amendment to the patent law since 2007. The second big thing is that there is a huge difference in the prices of medicines available in government hospitals. Especially there is a huge difference between their print rate and purchase price. In such a situation, the government should do the average pricing of these medicines. This will make a big difference in the prices of medicines. At present, the average expenditure on medicines for any patient is 180% more. After controlling drug prices, they will come down drastically.
Damukhopadhyay explains that generic medicine is also branded. The same company makes both generic and branded drugs, but their prices vary greatly. In such a situation, if the government wants to provide cheap medicines to the people or patients, then it is necessary to control their prices. There is also a big game in the case of generic drugs, especially in the case of government procurement or drugs bought in hospitals. In such a situation, only controlling their prices can open the way for patients to get cheap medicines.
Most of the patents for drugs related to major diseases are with big companies.
Most of the patents of drugs used in diseases like HIV, lung cancer, and liver cancer are with big companies. They sell them under different brands. If the same drug is available in generic form, the cost of treatment can be reduced up to 200 times. For example, the cost of branded medicine of HIV drug Tenofovir or Efavirenz is $ 2,500 i.e. about 1 lakh 75 thousand rupees, whereas in generic medicine the same expenditure can be up to $ 12 i.e. only 840 rupees per month. However, these diseases are mostly treated in super specialty hospitals. In such a situation, these medicines are available only in these hospitals or with the chemists there.
According to Zee(UP) News–
Branded And Generic medicine: Whenever we go to the doctor when we are sick, we buy their prescribed medicines directly from the medical store. The medicines prescribed by the doctor are trusted and we bring the medicines. Do you know whether the name of the medicine that the doctor is prescribing on the prescription is generic or branded? The answer to most would be no because we do not play with health.
On Tuesday, UP Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak, taking seriously the complaints of branded medicines being written by doctors, has given strict instructions to the officials of the Medical and Health Department to prescribe generic medicines only. In this regard, a mandate was issued by the Additional Chief Secretary, Medical and Health Amit Mohan Prasad in the evening.
Medical and Health Department issued orders
In the instructions issued by the Medical and Health Department, all government hospitals have been asked to display the list of medicines available in the hospitals. At any cost, doctors should not prescribe medicines to patients from outside. Along with this, instructions were given that Jan Aushadhi Kendras should be operated in a better way.
Most people do not even know that branded medicines are much more expensive than generic medicines. And private doctors only prescribe branded medicines in order to earn profits, which is heavy on our pockets. By the way, due to the excessive use of medicines, a question remains in the mind of all of us which medicines are more effective among brand and generic medicines.
According to Jagran correspondent-
Generic medicine… The salt-based medicine also works the same way as the branded one. The only difference is that branded medicine is promoted and not generic. Therefore, while buying the medicine, you should know the name of the salt. For example, if we talk about 10 tablets to kill stomach worms in brand, it will be available for Rs.80 and in generic it is Rs.6.
Branded medicine becomes as soon the name is changed:
Keep this in mind while buying medicine: While buying medicine from a medical store, it is important to pay attention to its salt. Not in the name of the company. They are marketed to increase the sales of branded medicines. Companies make their products and promote them. There is no promotion of generic medicine. Pharmaceutical companies have promoted branded drugs a lot as a better alternative to generic drugs.
In this regard, the government has opened Jan Aushadhi Kendras.
Mobile apps such as Healthkart plus and Pharma Jan Samadhan are also available. Through these, you can easily buy cheap medicines.
The Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI) is responsible for implementing the Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Yojana (PMBJP). In this, medicines are provided at low cost. Most of the generic medicines are sold only at the Jan Aushadhi Kendras associated with them.
Note- The information written in this article is based on published articles and articles by experts.