Additionally, healthcare professionals should be trained on the efficacy of generics to shift prescribing practices. Once a drug patent expires, multiple pharmaceutical companies can produce and sell the generic version, leading to increased competition and lower prices for consumers. Providing essential drugs and medicines at cost-effective prices is the key focus of Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. Under free drug initiatve of National Health Mission (NHM), support is provided for provision of essential generic drugs free of cost in public health facilities. Indiangenericprice ensures that all our medications are obtained from certified manufacturers, meeting strict global safety and efficacy guidelines. We aim to make advanced medications affordable and accessible for patients everywhere.
Some of the key benefits of the Jan Aushadhi Yojana include:
These programmes benefit more than 15 million people who are living with HIV/AIDS. This allowed for the production of low-cost, generic versions of medicines that were patented in other countries. Generic drugs have the same active ingredients as the brand-name drugs, ensuring the same therapeutic benefits. However, the inactive ingredients (such as fillers, colorants, or preservatives) may vary, but they do not affect the drug’s performance.
- Generic medicines are drugs that contain the same active ingredients as branded medicines, but are sold under their chemical name.
- For them, the brand name matters not only in cosmetics, clothes, groceries, and accessories but also in the case of medicines.
- Generic drugs have the same active ingredients as the brand-name drugs, ensuring the same therapeutic benefits.
- In 2008, the Indian government launched the Jan Aushadhi Scheme, later renamed Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Yojana (PMJAY) in 2015.
- The Pharma industry has posted a robust, double-digit growth over the last few years.
- These programmes benefit more than 15 million people who are living with HIV/AIDS.
Medicines for BP Problems
There is immense scope for technology, innovation and research in pharmaceuticals. Generic drugs export has been growing at a very impressive rate of around 24% per year for the last four years. Our extensive catalog includes specialized drugs that cater to serious conditions such as HIV, Hepatitis, Cancer, and more. We deliver medications worldwide, ensuring that patients from all corners of the globe receive the care they need.
- 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.
- The Indian government has taken several initiatives to promote the use of generic medicines domestically, including the Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Yojana (PMJAY), which provides quality generic medicines at affordable prices.
- However, more awareness, policy changes, and efforts to improve public perception are needed to fully unlock the potential of generic medicines in India.
- In recent years, generic medicines in India have emerged as a powerful tool in making healthcare more affordable and accessible to millions of people.
- They are accepted globally and are of the same quality with a lesser cost as compared to branded drugs.
Medicines for Kidney Problems
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.
Quality Assurance
As previously mentioned, generic medicines are far cheaper than branded drugs, allowing patients to afford treatments for chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases without financial strain. “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.” This public health approach to setting strict patent standards is in line with international trade rules and encourages timely entry of affordable generics into the market, driving prices down.
Key Features of Medkart Pharmacy
Regarding non-communicable diseases (NCDs), he outlined considerable progress in the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases, and Stroke. The government provides free or highly subsidised treatment for NCDs at public hospitals, with major diseases covered under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PMJAY). The scheme, benefiting approximately 55 crore people, offers US$ 5,886 (Rs. 5 lakh) annual health cover for secondary and tertiary hospitalisation. Additionally, the scheme has extended coverage to senior citizens aged 70 and above. As of November 30, 2024, 218 AMRIT pharmacies operate across 29 states and Union Territories, offering discounted medicines and surgical items.
Price difference between generics and branded medicines
- By providing affordable medication options, generic medicines ensure that low-income individuals and underserved populations have access to necessary treatments, reducing healthcare disparities across the country.
- Moreover, the Directorate General of Health Services has directed all Central Government hospitals to prescribe generic medicines only.
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- 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.
- This public health approach to setting strict patent standards is in line with international trade rules and encourages timely entry of affordable generics into the market, driving prices down.
- 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.
- It is run in a Campaign Mission Mode on the principle of Not for Profits but with Minimal Profits.
- 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.
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.
Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Yojana: A Game Changer for Generic Medicines
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. Yes, generic medicines are available for a wide range of diseases, including chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and infectious diseases. Branded drugs are developed after years of research and clinical trials, making the original manufacturer the exclusive seller for a specific time through a patent.
Benefits of the Jan Aushadhi Scheme Campaign
Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendra scheme ensures quality generic medicines available at affordable prices to all citizens. Under the scheme, dedicated outlets known as Janaushadhi Kendras are opened to provide generic medicines at affordable prices. By providing affordable medication options, generic medicines ensure that low-income individuals and underserved populations have access to necessary treatments, reducing healthcare disparities across the country. Generic medicines are produced after the patent on a branded drug expires, allowing multiple manufacturers to make the same drug.
How to Promote the Use of Generic Medicines
- The National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) imparts quality education in the areas of pharmaceutical sciences.
- Yes, generic medicines are available for a wide range of diseases, including chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and infectious diseases.
- To ensure high quality, medicines are procured from WHO Good manufacturing practice (GMP), Current Good Manufacturing Practice and CPSUs manufacturers for supplying to Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras.
- Under the Scheme, dedicated outlets known as Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs) are opened to provide generic medicines at cheaper rates to the citizens.
- 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.
- Apart from this, each batch of drug is tested at laboratories accredited by ‘National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL).
- Bayer’s pricing had made the drug unaffordable to poor cancer patients in India, Africa and elsewhere.
It is a common tactic by which the pharmaceutical industry extends their monopoly on drugs beyond the original patent’s 20 years. Long monopoly of a single company in the US keeps prices high because generic competition is blocked. This problem gets further aggravated as almost 80% of expenditure on health care is borne by the patients themselves.
India prevents ‘evergreening’ and makes affordable generics possible.
This competition, along with the lack of R&D and marketing costs, significantly reduces the price of generic medicines. Generic medicines are vital for providing affordable healthcare to millions in India. With initiatives like the Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Yojana, the country is moving towards a future where quality medicines are available to all, regardless of financial constraints. However, more awareness, policy changes, and efforts to improve public perception are needed to fully unlock the potential of generic medicines in India. Indian manufacturers, with their reverse engineering skills, were the first to market low-cost versions of the life-saving cancer (Imatinib) and HIV drugs (Zidovudine) within a few years of their US launch. The Scheme is being implemented through the Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI), under the administrative control of the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, Government of India.
It can depend on the clinical data presented by the innovator’s company for the safety profile of the medicine. By offering affordable and accessible healthcare options, generic medicines play a critical role in lowering healthcare costs while ensuring high standards of safety and effectiveness. This law fostered the growth of a strong domestic pharmaceutical industry focused on producing affordable generic drugs. It enabled Indian companies to manufacture medicines at much lower costs, without infringing on patents held by multinational corporations. Before the 1970s, India’s pharmaceutical market was dominated by multinational corporations, which produced and sold branded medicines at high prices. The Indian pharmaceutical industry was relatively underdeveloped, and most medicines, especially life-saving ones, were imported, making them inaccessible to a large part of the population due to high costs.
National Government Services Portal
The Government of India has taken up a number of initiatives to create an ecosystem that fosters manufacturing and have identified a few key areas. ‘Make in India’ is one of the key programmes launched by the government to boost the economy and the aim is to transform India into a global manufacturing hub. This is an eloquent testimony to the competence of the Indian pharma sector in terms of quality and pricing. The Minister for Excise and Liquor Prohibition, Uttar Pradesh, Shri Jai Parata Singh and several dignitaries from fields of medicine, pharmaceuticals and other were present on the occasion. Saying that pharmaceuticals was a priority area for Government, Shri Naidu stressed the need to further harness the potential of the sector by use of technology, innovation and research. To bring down the healthcare budget of every citizen of India through providing Quality generic Medicines at Affordable Prices.
On Your Medicine Bills By Switching To Generic Medicines
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.
- Further, Clause 1.5 of Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002 prescribes that every physcian should prescribe drugs with generic names legibly and preferably in capital letters.
- 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.
- The industry was worth US $36.7 Billion in 2017 and is projected to grow to US $55 Billion by 2020.
- In India, generic medicine sales appear to be on the rise, as long as the government continues to encourage them.
- The production of affordable generics helped address critical healthcare needs in India, particularly in treating infectious diseases like tuberculosis and malaria, which were prevalent across the country.
- A major turning point came in 2005 when India amended its patent laws to comply with the World Trade Organization’s Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement.
- This leads to lower costs because generic manufacturers do not incur the high expenses of research and marketing.
The initiative aims to make essential medicines more accessible and affordable through resolute PMBJK outlets. The Jan Aushadhi initiative will make available quality drugs at affordable prices through dedicated stores selling generic medicines which are available at lesser prices but are equivalent in quality and efficacy as expensive branded drugs. Medicines in almost every therapeutic category are sold primarily as branded drugs, at disproportionately high prices.
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A major turning point came in 2005 when India amended its patent laws to comply with the World Trade Organization’s Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement. The amendment reintroduced product patents for medicines, but India included provisions such as compulsory licensing, which allowed the production of generics for life-saving drugs in cases of public health emergencies. Due to the ability of the Indian pharma companies to produce drugs at economical rates, the cost of HIV/AIDS treatment has gone down to $400 per year from $12,000 – a spectacular contribution to global healthcare. For the benefit of the Indian population, DR BEST Pharmaceuticals also took a great initiative by starting their online pharmacy, which offers generic medicines with up to 80% discount at your doorsteps. The law was designed with the objective of stopping drug giants from indulging in ‘evergreening,’ an unfortunately common and abusive patenting practice in the pharmaceutical industry. It is aimed at filing and then obtaining separate patents – referred to as ‘secondary patents’ – relating to different aspects of the same medicine.
With the vision to provide quality generic medicines to all citizens, the government’s Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana brings this concept to reality. Out of Pocket expenditure on medicines constitutes enzalutamide price in thailand more than 50% of healthcare expenditure in India. The poor are most affected as branded medicines are expensive and treatments involving the use of such medicines pushes them further into poverty.
Generic medicines are much cheaper because they do not involve the initial research and marketing costs of branded medicines. However, they are bioequivalent to branded drugs and are just as safe and effective. While generics are generally cheaper than branded drugs, there can be variability in the pricing of generic medicines across different regions and pharmacies. This can confuse consumers, and in some cases, patients may not experience the cost savings they expect. During the 1980s, Indian pharmaceutical companies like Cipla, Ranbaxy, Dr. Reddy’s, and Sun Pharma started gaining momentum by producing high-quality generic medicines. These companies began to challenge the dominance of global pharmaceutical giants by offering the same medicines at significantly reduced prices.