In India, generic pharmaceuticals are crucial to lowering healthcare costs and increasing access. We may better appreciate their vital function in the healthcare system if we are aware of their advantages, difficulties, and legal environment. When looking for effective and affordable treatment choices, Dr. Best advises patients and healthcare professionals to explore generic options. In India, generic medicine sales appear to be on the rise, as long as the government continues to encourage them. Over the years, India has developed a strong capability in producing quality branded and generic medicines in most of the therapeutic categories, evolving from a mere Rs 1,500 crores industry in 1980 to a more than Rs 1,19,000 crores industry in 2012. Despite government efforts to promote generic medicines through initiatives like Jan Aushadhi Kendras, the availability of generics in rural and remote areas is still limited.
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In 2008, the Indian government launched the Jan Aushadhi Scheme, later renamed Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Yojana (PMJAY) in 2015. This initiative aimed to promote the use of affordable generic medicines by establishing Jan Aushadhi Kendras (stores) across India, where patients could purchase high-quality generic medicines at significantly lower prices than branded drugs. The Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) Scheme has introduced 2,047 medicines and 300 surgical devices, including cardiovascular, anti-cancer, and anti-diabetic treatments.
TBI Blogs: 5 Reasons Why India Is the ‘Pharmacy’ of the Developing World
This makes them more accessible to patients and healthcare providers across different regions. The scheme was a major milestone in making healthcare accessible to all citizens, especially in rural and underprivileged areas. PMJAY also helped raise awareness about the benefits of generic medicines, countering the perception that generics are of lower quality. The AIDS crisis in the late 1990s further highlighted India’s role in the global healthcare system. Indian companies, particularly Cipla, gained international recognition by producing affordable generic antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to treat HIV/AIDS, which significantly lowered the cost of treatment in Africa and other developing regions.
Lack of awareness
There are more than 700 medicines; more than 150 surgicals and consumables are available at affordable prices for all at more than 4000 ‘Jan Aushadi Kedras’ across the nation. ‘Pharma Jan Samadhan’, a customer grievances redressal system was launched and a mobile application – ‘Pharma Sahi Daam’ that provides real-time information to consumers on prices of Scheduled/Non-scheduled medicines has also been introduced. Our medications are sourced from Indian certified manufacturers and meet global regulatory standards. We help you to access high quality generic medicine and overcome financial barriers. How the law works is borne out of the patent decision in 2005 which rejected the Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis’ attempt to patent the salt/crystalline form of ‘Imatinib,’ a life saving medicine for treating chronic myeloid leukemia.
Medicines for Kidney Problems
Many rural pharmacies may not stock a wide range of generics due to logistical challenges or low demand, leading patients to rely on more expensive branded alternatives. While generic medicines have played a transformative role in improving healthcare accessibility and affordability, they also face several challenges in India. These issues stem from quality control, regulatory oversight, and consumer perception, all of which can hinder the widespread acceptance and effectiveness of generics in the country. Today, India is one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of generic medicines, accounting for about 20% of the global supply. Indian pharmaceutical companies manufacture a wide range of generic drugs, including antibiotics, antivirals, and medicines for chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension.
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The recombinant Hepatitis B vaccine is an excellent example of one of India’s low-cost medicines. Large multinational pharmaceutical companies held a complete monopoly on the vaccine and ensured that the price of the drug was high. At $23 per dose, a manufacturer in India saw an unmet need and, in the absence of patent barriers, developed a Hepatitis B vaccine to reduce the price of the drug to less than $1 per dose. Today, India is a main supplier of vaccines to UNICEF and to the Ministries of Health in numerous countries. With an objective of making quality generic medicines available at affordable prices to all, Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) was launched by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers in the year 2008.
Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Yojana: A Game Changer for Generic Medicines
The article discusses the types of medicines available through the scheme, quality standards, certification process, pricing, and benefits to the general public. The article also highlights the challenges faced by the PMBJP scheme in ensuring the availability and accessibility of medicines in remote areas. Furthermore, the article discusses the potential of PMBJP to expand and cover more medicines and medical devices, as well as its role in achieving the goal of universal health coverage in India. Generic medicines play a key role in government healthcare initiatives such as the Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Yojana (PMJAY), which aims to make essential medicines affordable and accessible to all citizens.
Drug Price List: Generics and Matching Brands
Generic medicines play a crucial role in promoting health equity by ensuring that medications are accessible to all segments of the population, regardless of socioeconomic status. This is particularly important in a diverse country like India, where disparities in access to healthcare can be significant. The production of affordable generics helped address critical healthcare needs in India, particularly sofosbuvir price in vietnam in treating infectious diseases like tuberculosis and malaria, which were prevalent across the country. Pharma companies should go above and beyond their CSR mandates to provide life saving and other essential drugs to those who cannot afford them. Quality medicines at affordable prices are now available to the poor and disadvantaged through the “Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan aushadhi Kendras”.
- Healthcare and its allied industries being the fifth-largest employer among all sectors, the Vice President asked the industry to invest in skilling.
- Along with no compromise on quality, it is also cost-effective, as the cost of research and development and drug discovery is not included in the case of generic drugs.
- “Making quality medicines available at affordable prices has been a key challenge. We will reinvigorate the supply of generic drugs. 3,000 Stores under Prime Minister’s Jan Aushadhi Yojana will be opened during 2017.”
- Bayer’s pricing had made the drug unaffordable to poor cancer patients in India, Africa and elsewhere.
- Apart from this, each batch of drug is tested at laboratories accredited by ‘National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL).
- The only significant difference is the price, as generic drugs are often 30% to 90% cheaper than branded medicines.
Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana
Generic medicines can only be produced after the patent on the brand-name drug has expired. This allows multiple manufacturers to create the same medicine, increasing competition and driving prices down. Generic drugs are tested rigorously to ensure they meet the same safety and efficacy standards as brand-name drugs. FDA (Food and Drug Administration) or India’s CDSCO (Central Drugs Standard Control Organization) ensure that generic drugs adhere to strict guidelines before they are approved for public use. A landmark moment in India’s pharmaceutical history came with the Indian Patents Act of 1970.
Affordability
- The Supreme Court of India also upheld the 2006 decision of the Indian patent office that refused a patent for a mere incremental innovation to a Swiss Pharma major.
- Patients should be informed that generic drugs are just as effective as branded drugs but at a lower price.
- Indian companies, particularly Cipla, gained international recognition by producing affordable generic antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to treat HIV/AIDS, which significantly lowered the cost of treatment in Africa and other developing regions.
- As India continues to address its healthcare challenges, the role of generic medicines will remain vital in ensuring that all individuals have access to the medications they need for maintaining good health.
- Such patents are routinely granted in the US and other countries, but India chose to prioritise access to medicines over the business interests of the pharmaceutical industry.
- In India, generic pharmaceuticals are crucial to lowering healthcare costs and increasing access.
- Moreover, the Directorate General of Health Services has directed all Central Government hospitals to prescribe generic medicines only.
This uncompromising stand has been demonstrated through the granting of compulsory licence in 2012 to an Indian manufacturer to produce a cancer drug, the patent for which was held by the German company Bayer. Bayer’s pricing had made the drug unaffordable to poor cancer patients in India, Africa and elsewhere. Presently over 80 per cent of the antiretroviral drugs used globally to combat AIDS are supplied by Indian pharmaceutical firms. The Mantras in these ancient texts contain a wealth of information regarding herbs, metals, medicines, diseases and treatments. They speak of the astounding properties and powers that herbs and plants possess to cure diseases.
How to Promote the Use of Generic Medicines
Moreover, it is easier to get generic medicines directly from online pharmacy 24/7 or in a nearby chemist shop. The generics prove to be a great alternative to branded medicines as they are bioequivalent or identical to branded drugs with comparable therapeutic action. Along with no compromise on quality, it is also cost-effective, as the cost of research and development and drug discovery is not included in the case of generic drugs.
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Developing countries across the world face several challenges, key among which is providing their people with affordable medicines of high-quality. You can purchase generic medicines at Jan Aushadhi Kendras (government-run stores) and most pharmacies across India. These stores offer a variety of affordable generic alternatives for common medicines.
- They must be approved by regulatory authorities like the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) in India.
- Healthcare is the fifth-largest employer among all sectors, both in terms of direct and indirect employment.
- Yes, generic medicines are required to meet the same safety, quality, and efficacy standards as branded medicines.
- Indiangenericprice ensures that all our medications are obtained from certified manufacturers, meeting strict global safety and efficacy guidelines.
- Yet, the country’s marginalised populations have limited access to medicines as branded medicines are sold at significantly higher prices than their unbranded generic equivalents, despite being identical in the therapeutic value.
- By offering low-cost, high-quality alternatives to branded drugs, generic medicines help reduce healthcare costs and improve access to treatments, supporting the government’s broader goal of universal healthcare.
- According to NSO estimates, upto 79% of health care expenses in rural areas are due to the cost of medicines.
Indian pharmaceutical companies started exporting generic drugs to developing countries that were grappling with the high cost of healthcare. The country earned the title of the “pharmacy of the developing world”, providing essential medicines at low prices to countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. In recent years, generic medicines in India have emerged as a powerful tool in making healthcare more affordable and accessible to millions of people. With rising healthcare costs, the availability of generic drugs has provided relief to patients by offering low-cost alternatives without compromising on quality. This article explores the significance of generic medicines in India, their role in the healthcare system, and why they are key to reducing out-of-pocket expenditure on healthcare. Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) is a campaign launched by the Department of Pharmaceuticals to provide quality medicines at affordable prices to the masses.
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Indiangenericprice believes that no one should be deprived of essential healthcare, regardless of their location or financial situation. Our goal is to transform global healthcare access by breaking down barriers through convenience and affordability. A ‘public first’ approach to policy, strict medicine patent law and doctors who have used reverse-engineering to introduce generic drugs, are some of the reasons that India has emerged as the ‘pharmacy’ of the developing world.
Benefits of generic drugs
- Generic medicines in India must adhere to the same regulatory standards as branded drugs.
- From early efforts to make essential medicines affordable to becoming one of the world’s largest producers of generics, India’s generic pharmaceutical industry has a rich history.
- The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has called up on the pharmaceutical industry to work towards making India an International Capital of Generic Medicines.
- It is clear that since the ancient times India had a very systematic, scientific and rational approach to the treatment of diseases.
- So it is not only the responsibility of the government to support generics, but we all should also take the initiative to support generics.
- As a result the drug – imatinib mesylate –produced generically costs $790 per patient per year in India compared to $106, 322 per patient per year in the US.
- Today, India is a main supplier of vaccines to UNICEF and to the Ministries of Health in numerous countries.
There is still a large section of the population which finds it difficult to afford these high-priced medicines. According to World Health Organization estimates (2008), 65% of India‟s population does not have access to modern health care. Since 80% of out-patient care and 60% of in-hospital care occurs at private hospitals in India, households are exposed to a private-sector market to buy drugs (Public Health Foundation of India, 2012). According to NSO estimates, upto 79% of health care expenses in rural areas are due to the cost of medicines. Though the government has encouraged the prescription of generic medicines, many doctors in India still prefer prescribing branded drugs due to established relationships with pharmaceutical companies or doubts about the quality of generics. While the Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Yojana (PMJAY) has promoted the use of generic medicines, there is still a lack of awareness about the benefits of generics among the general public and even some healthcare professionals.
Newly Launched Generic Medicine
The government and the Pharma sector in unison have managed to effectively harness the power of Information technology to improve efficiency. The Supreme Court of India also upheld the 2006 decision of the Indian patent office that refused a patent for a mere incremental innovation to a Swiss Pharma major. India already has the second highest number of US FDA approved facilities and labour costs in Indian are significantly lower than other manufacturing hubs.