Generic medicines

Generic medicines are the cheaper version of the same biological configuration which is available in the market once the patent date expires for the company who had done research on its original form and brought it to the market. Since the company has to do a lot of investment in research, they make a profit out of selling the original version. The idea of the generic medicine is to avail the drugs to the public at the affordable rate so that it is widely available so that the needy ones get the benefit from it.

The medical practitioners are approached by various companies’ Medical representatives for the promotion of their brand. They present various schemes to lure the practitioners in selling their brand in comparison to the generic drugs. These private companies are given monthly and yearly targets which are aggressive and they, in turn, push down the line considering the medical line just another market.

Considering the income dynamics of the people of the country, it is more ethical for the doctor to prescribe those medicines which are cheaper in rates and work just the same in comparison to the branded medicine. However, the effectiveness of the same should be taken into account.

With the current notification from the government that it tries to amend the Drug & Cosmetics Act 1945 so that medical practitioners should only dispense Generic Drugs, it must be taken into account that it is being implemented down the line. Generally, people are not aware of the fact that such medicines exist. There is no data which is directly available to them and it is up to the doctor only who is prescribing it based on the symptoms told to him by the visiting patient. Hence, its regulation is normally difficult.