Generic medicines a boon for the poor

Generic medicines could be life-saving for poor if made them available in the agency areas and slums in the towns in the district as many poor are not in a position to buy the costly branded medicines prescribed by the doctors.

Two Generic medical stores at Nirmal government hospital and at RIMS in Adilabad town are being run successfully in the district. The generic medicines have proved to be boon for the poor.

The Union Ministry of Drugs and Pharmaceuticals will give Rs 50,000 fund for setting up generic medicine store. Many people are now showing to set up generic medical stores.

There have been incidents when Adivasis could not afford to buy prescribed medicines and succumbed to diseases. If generic medicines are made available precious lives can be saved.

Adivasi leader Kanaka Venkatesh opined that, it would be good if ITDA, Utnoor comes forward to set up generic medical stores in eight agency mandals head quarters where seasonal diseases are being reported every year.

ITDA can give instruction to the private and government doctors to prescribe only generic medicines.                

The Union ministry of Drugs and Pharmaceuticals will give Rs 50,000 fund for setting up generic medicine store.

Many people are now showing to set up generic medical stores in the towns in district. Poor cannot afford to buy medicines prescribed by doctors and succumb to diseases. 

Generic medicines are helping poor patients with their lower prices, thus reducing the medical expenses in the Adilabad.

The generic medicines medical store which was set up at RIMS is highly useful to the people of the district. Poor patients including large number of tribals from across the district come to RIMS for better medical treatment.

Patients are now purchasing medicines from generic medical store at cheaper prices compared to other medical stores.

Owners of the other medical stores around the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), and in the Adilabad town along with some doctors have been creating trouble to the generic medical store as the formers’ sales have fallen.

J. Srinivas, pharmacist at the generic medical store, said there was good response to the generic medicines from the people and added that the generic medicines prices would be up to 70 percent less when compared to those from branded companies.

He said generic medicines work in the same way and are just as effective and people should not believe rumors stating otherwise.

However, people of the Adilabad town for that matter in the district were not exposed to generic medicines as such medical shops are a recent addition in the few towns like in Nirmal.

It is the known fact that majority of the doctors promote the branded medicines with their company names but they never mention the formula of the medicines in their prescriptions. Doctors will get commissions for promoting the company medicines.

Patients and their family members get benefit in term of the less expenditure on medicines only when doctors write the formula of the medicines which are available in generic medicines.

P. Laxmi, a patient who purchased the medicines at Jeevandhara Medical store at RIMS, said she was surprised at the amount in the bill that was far lower than in the regular medical store. It is the way poor people are being exploited ruthlessly by Pharma companies to make a profit.