Learning About Generic Medicines

The country of over 1.4 billion people has been struggling with health care for a long time. India undeniably has made huge progress in providing people with quality treatment and medications, yet it has a long way to go. Our country has one of the lowest densities of the health workforce, preventing most of the population from getting adequate treatment. The quality of the medications is another big concern.

Poor quality medicines cause a large proportion of deaths in India every year, yet many people do not know about this. A majority of the population thinks that branded drugs are quality-proven as they are usually very expensive, but in reality, this is not true. The quality of drugs is determined by how they are manufactured and where they are stored. This means there are no differences between brand-name medicines and generics.

This write-up will discuss everything about generic medicines to help you understand why they are the best alternatives.

What is Generic Medicine?

Generic drugs are medications offering the same clinical benefits as the brand-name medicine. They incorporate the compositions of different compounds in a specific proportion same as any brand-name drugs, demonstrating bioequivalence. Generics work in the same way any brand-name medicine does. This means an individual can take a generic medicine as a substitute for its brand-name counterpart.

Also Read: All you need to know about substitute medicine

Many people think branded medicines are made differently, which is a myth. Medicines are manufactured by combining multiple salts in specific proportions, depending on their usage. When a brand sells those drugs, they become branded and when they are sold not under the umbrella of a brand, these medicines are called generics.

Why Do Generic Drugs Cost Less than Branded Medicines?

One of the prominent reasons that generic medicines are less costlier than brand-name drugs is their short supply chain. Brands spend a lot of money to market their medicines and have a long supply chain. So, by the time a brand-name medicine reaches the customer, its price touches the sky. On the other hand, generics are directly accessible to customers with no additional marketing cost.

Also Read: Understanding the Cost Difference of Branded and GENERIC MEDICINES

Why do Doctors Usually Prescribe Branded Medicine?

The main reason many doctors in India prescribe brand-name medicines to their patients is the percentage of commission they acquire from the brand. Medicine manufacturing brands offer doctors around 20 to 30 per cent commission on the medicine price when their patients buy their drugs. This way many doctors earn extra money for doing nothing and brands earn a lot of profit; it’s a win-win game for medicine brands and associated doctors.

Also Read: Why Do Doctors Prescribe Branded Medicine? 

Are Branded Drugs Safer than Generic Medicines?

Brand-name drugs and generics include the same active ingredient, but they may have different colours and tastes that don’t make any difference in their performance, effectiveness, or safety. It’s the myth that brand-name medicines are safer than generics. In fact, many branded medicines are available in the market without clinical trials and studies. These brand-name medicines affect patients adversely and the worst thing is people never realise this. They think the reason behind their suffering is the disease but in reality, the branded medicines they take deteriorate their medical condition.

How to Know Which Medicine is Safe?

The only way to know whether a medicine is safe or not is to get it tested in the lab. There is no other way to ensure the quality of any drugs available in the market. Brands know that no general individual will go that far to get their medicine test in the lab. Therefore, many medicine manufacturing companies in India take advantage and do whatever they want, and this is also true for generic medicines. Therefore, buying drugs from a reliable pharmacy is indispensable.

Also Read: Is Your Medicine Safe? A Guide to Testing and Quality Checks

Get Generic Medicines from SayaCare

There are a plethora of online platforms and apps that claim their drugs to be safe, but they don’t show any proof. On the other hand, SayaCare sells 100% safe medicine at up to 90% lower costs than most brand-name medicines. No matter what drugs you are buying, you get them with their quality report. SayaCare gets all its medicines double-tested by a third-party laboratory that adheres to all government rules and regulations.

We at SayaCare promote complete transparency because your health is our priority. The generic medicines we sell are clinically tested within the 3-month timeframe before selling. It is because the quality of drugs deteriorates with time and we can’t risk our customers’ health. So, if you want to get the best quality generic medicines at a very affordable cost and with quality reports, place an order on the SayaCare app or website. Learn more about SayaCare’s evolution from Jan Aushadhi.