Patients in India rely on the advice of unqualified medical shop sellers instead of doctors when buying medicines.
About |
Branded drugs |
Generic drugs |
Definition |
They are also called as the “Innovator drugs” and are at first available in the market as new chemical entities |
It is a pharmaceutical drug that contains the same chemical substance as a drug that was originally protected by chemical patents |
Trade name |
Sold under the manufacturer’s name |
Not sold under the manufacturer’s name |
Affordability |
High Cost |
Low cost |
Patent protection |
Produced by a company which holds the patent |
Available at the market by the pharma companies only after the patent protection period expires |
Animal and clinical study |
Essential to perform tests |
Not required |
Features |
The company formulates the chemical composition and establishes the dosage, strength, efficacy, administration etc. |
The active ingredients, dosage, efficacy and administration are exactly same as that in branded drug |
Competition |
Little competition as patent protected |
Competition is heavy due to price variation |
Hathi Committee in 1975 recommended for the gradual elimination of brand names.
Steps taken by India to promote Generic Drugs |
|
In India, annually, about 32 million people get pushed below poverty line because of expenditure on medical care.
References