Is Northeast Like Rest Of India Awake To The Generic Drug Call?

Hardly 50% of India is awaken to the call of generic medicine though PM Modi has  much emphasised on it to bring an effective policy to ensure that doctors observe it lawfully while prescribing drug to the patient.

Branded similar name samples of generic medicinal products in Pharma domain has ruled the market scenario in India for decades without public suspicion on non-generic brand game in drug world.

First people in northeast are not open to the concept of generic medicine’s role. If your health has not improved how far you have questioned whether your medicine contents have active ingredients as in generic drugs?

Generic medicine role is not much different from the branded ones but the percentage of pure ingredients recommended for particular health recovery is not diluted as in branded ones. So the percentage of effectiveness after the intake of generic drug is much bankable.

Brand leaders in Pharma domain use similar generic names in an attractive manner and emphasise it through ad display to enhance sales figure.  In this context doctors, nurse and pharmacist are often confused while delivering drugs to the patients be it in the market or operation theatre or while prescribing. Since some of the well known generic drug companies manufacture different composition drug with similar effect under a particular brand name that resonate to the previous original product name.

Generic drug price is comparatively higher, on account of which PM Modi has planned to avail such drugs at cheaper rate in the upcoming policy where 1.2 billion Indians can have best health measure undeniably at best rate. This new pass of legislation on generic drug may take a year or so as fear looms in Pharma production growth including slop in competition that is estimated to affect India’s economy.

This challenging task has been initiated by the Indian government for the first time in the wake of quality issues from the branded drugs, procured from the generic manufacturers for free distribution during emergency situation. Every life counts be it defence or victims of natural calamities for the Indian government counts them as the driving force of the nation.

On the basis of more than 30% substandard drugs detection in 2012 federal auditor’s report with follow of this year’s 10% quality drop in drugs that were procured from the medical stores. Be it pharmacist or doctors it has been detected that well known companies keep them in their wallet. So it will be wise for the general people according to NGOs that they ask their doctors to prescribe generic names only and even observe that the pharmacist do not try out smart them with leading brand products.

The government has planned to simplify difficult names in singular format with reduce of words to clear confusion so that the buyers can make easy decision. Even sometimes doctors become confused with branded products when they are unable to recollect instantly the generic names. Similar such case often occurs with nurse and pharmacist also as they face the same problem. Example ‘Viagra’ is a different composition brand name drug which often confuse customer with similar effect popular generic named drug known as Sildenafil for erection purpose.

Sometimes doctors do write generic names but pronounces a branded name which a patient gets confused when pharmacist ask whether it is the branded name Nurofen as the customer had mentioned or ibruprofen as prescribed in the prescription?

In this gigantic health war that the US government has initiated, the federal budget treasurer Scott Morrison on account of this new law imposition has declared that doctors should mention generic version drug rather than the branded ones. Such effective measure can be estimated soon in India if the public shows awareness and empowers the government with lesser trouble in decision making.

NEIC Analytic Report: Sumi

NEIC Illustration: Sumi