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.
