How To Get Generic Drugs and Low-Cost Prescriptions

In comparison, Gen X was the most likely to prefer generic medications, mainly due to cost (95%), previous experience (28%), availability (26%), and higher trust (15%). When patients choose between brand-name and generic medications, cost, trust, and availability all come into play. These factors and others revealed below influence how people decide which option is best for their needs.

Scope for costsavings on medicine and affordability of PMBJP medicines

The skilled labor force is available in Indian cities at very competitive salaries compared to most other destinations. Subsequently, the trade balance of the sector was analyzed to understand the state of the art and potential development trajectories of growth/development compared to the rest of the world. The data reported in Table 2 (with the details of various categories) and Table 3 (with the related balance of the same categories) provide evidence about the progress of the Indian pharmaceutical industry and its international business.

Pharmacists’ views on PMBJP

The profiles of the physicians and pharmacists are provided as additional files (Additional files 2 and 3). The fact anyone is paying attention to the quality of Indian-made medicines is arguably because of Mr. Thakur. In 2004, he noticed a generic antibiotic produced for the Indian market failed to curb his son’s severe ear infection; a switch to the brand-name version knocked down the boy’s worrying high fever overnight.

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Moreover, the margins that Indian suppliers can earn in the United States are higher than those they can achieve in the more saturated Indian market. There are also ample opportunities presenting themselves across Asia for India’s pharma players, especially as talks of a free-trade agreement (FTA) with the Eurasian Economic Union and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership in Asia progress. Although the market continues to diversify with new players springing up from within India as well as internationally, a handful of national players continue to have a sizeable footprint in the domestic and international generics industry. Piramal, Torrent, Cipla, Sun Pharma, Aurobindo, Dr. Reddy’s and Glenmark, to name a few, represent a number of the success stories in India’s pharma industry landscape. With the biopharmaceutical industry rapidly evolving across the globe, inorganic growth has been an important part of company strategy for expanding footprints, retaining market share and moving into new areas of the value chain. For example, Torrent acquired Bio-Pharma Inc. (BPI) in early 2018 – its first acquisition of a manufacturing site outside of India – to diversify and strengthen its product pipeline.

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Maria Rosaria Carli was formerly Director of the Institute of Research on Mediterranean Economies of Italian CNR. Her research interests are focused on Economics of Development and she was Adjunct Professor of Economics of Developing Countries at the “Parthenope” University of Naples, Italy. She was Italian member of the Core Group and Standing Committee for the Social Sciences – European Science Foundation. She is scientific coordinator for the CNR on R&D projects and has published articles on national and international journals, as well as essays on collective volumes. After all, a clear understanding of our record of accomplishment and emphasis on quality supports the ongoing efforts of Indian generic manufacturers to provide quality solutions that ultimately benefit consumers across the globe. This medication is administered under the guidance of an oncologist and has specific dosing instructions to ensure effectiveness and minimize side effects.

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Previous studies suggest that doctors’ negative perceptions regarding generics was a major constraint faced by JAS leading to its poor success [15,]. PMBJP’s stated objective is to gain the confidence of the medical community and consumers in unbranded generics by generating awareness through education and publicity. In this study, we have assessed the acceptability of PMBJP’s unbranded generics It is worth noting that the Indian pharmaceutical market is flooded with irrational or non-essential drugs. For example, majority of fixed dose combinations (FDC) that are marketed in India are therapeutically non-beneficial and unsafe for use [16, 17]. Notwithstanding, such FDCs account for more than 50% of the pharmaceutical formulations in India [17]. We, therefore, critically looked at the selection criteria for medicines included in the PMBJP list.

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Table 3 shows the extent of availability of medicine at PMBJP pharmacies across all levels of care in Mumbai and Palghar. Overall, the mean availability of medicines across study districts was found to be 52%, though the mean availability of medicine was slightly higher in Palghar (54%) than in Mumbai (51%). The findings suggest that availability of medicines vary significantly, ranging from 8 to 72% in Palghar and from 0 to 83% in Mumbai.

• However, JAS never really took off; there were only 99 JAS outlets across India which were selling 131 medicines till 2014.
• Pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement are critical components of the Indian healthcare policy.
• The result is that Ireland is the number one source by dollar value for U.S. pharmaceutical imports (Table 2).
• India must adapt to maintain its position as the world’s largest supplier of generic drugs.
• Because more than half of India’s pharmaceutical exports are to highly regulated markets such as the United States, Indian manufacturers must comply with strict U.S.
• System leaders, we supported a 2016 report acknowledging governments’ limited policy space to enact actions regarding access to medicines due to TRIPS-plus measures in trade deals, which undermines their ability to protect the human right to health.
• In fact, we did carry out prescription audit as part of the overall study, but its findings are not included here.

Do lower prices make generic medications the top choice for Americans?

In some cases, pharmaceutical reimbursement may involve direct billing between healthcare providers and insurance companies or government agencies. Under the DPCO, manufacturers are required to be aware of price fixation and revision by the NPPA since it is mandatory to follow the ceiling prices fixed and notified by the NPPA. In the case of ‘overcharging’ by manufacturers and/or violation of pricing regulations, the NPPA has the power to seek recovery of overcharged amount along with interest, as well as penalties in some cases. Although we reported availability, stock-outs and affordability of medicines in the PMBJP pharmacy outlets, a more comprehensive assessment of the accessibility of essential medicines may have included measurement of medicine prices, prescription pattern and out-of-pocket payments on medicines.

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As such, pharmaceutical companies are permitted to increase the prices of their drugs by this percentage. The marginal price adjustment is expected to affect 923 scheduled formulations listed in the NLEM, including antibiotics, cardiovascular medicines, tuberculosis drugs, and Parkinson’s and dementia medicines, among others; the small scale of the adjustment renders it meaningless compared to previous price adjustments. However, it instead tipped the balance in favor of the pharmaceutical industry’s commercial interests, and away from access to affordable medicines. For example, the development of a range of long-acting HIV prevention and treatment medicines could be transformative in advancing the end of AIDS — but this can only happen if those medicines are made widely available at low prices through large-scale generic production. India has long been known as the “pharmacy of the world,” producing generic medicines at prices that other developing countries and global institutions can afford. The country was the single largest supplier of pharmaceutical products to Africa in 2018, and accounted for a fifth of the continent’s pharmaceutical imports.

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Yet he and other experts agree one of the key problems with the Indian industry is a regulatory system that is not up to the job. That refers to testing done for the presence of active ingredients or unwanted impurities, both of which can have a direct impact on whether a drug does what it is supposed to do, experts say. Sloppy practices and even outright fraud at some – though not all — Indian facilities have been repeatedly documented. A National Post investigation found quality issues are directly affecting Canada in several ways. Reddy’s Laboratories is accused of ignoring tests showing unknown impurities in some of its drugs.

• Besides that, the public physicians stressed on the need for establishing the PMBJP outlets within the hospital premises, while private physicians asked for dissemination of information regarding the drugs listed under the PMBJP scheme.
• In addition, the Biden administration recently funneled billions of dollars from a Medicare trust fund under a “demonstration” program to offset Medicare Part D premium increases that otherwise would have occurred in 2025.
• But doctors from private health care facilities hardly mention the generic or chemical names of drugs on the prescription slips and only 60 percent of the prescriptions from public health facilities contain generic names [27].
• There was ample availability of multiple brands for identical drugs in India, and therefore, after DPCO was revised in 2013, a so-called tug of war between these branded drugs began.
• Following informed consent, the interviews were audiotaped while the first author also took notes.
• “When we write any generic medicines and if it is not available in hospital pharmacy, patients have to go to other pharmacies to buy it.
• The scheme envisaged to sell generic medicines at affordable prices through exclusive outlets namely JAS stores across the country, starting from the district to sub-divisional headquarters and to towns and villages.
• This country’s ability to produce affordable, generic drugs has led to its reputation of being the “pharmacy of the world.” By export volume, India is currently the largest provider of generic medicines globally, supplying 18 percent of global generic medicines.

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This provides an added advantage to the nation, which assists in developing processes that are cost-effective (Mahajan, 2019). DPCO has been a drawback for drug companies because it caused a decrease in their profit margins. Developing a medicine involves many aspects and is quite costly; hence, reducing their prices and profit margins has generated complex situations for pharmaceutical companies.

Generics cost less on average and often prove just as effective, making them a practical choice for budget-conscious consumers. However, trust in brand names and appealing product packaging, especially among younger generations like Gen Z, are affecting purchasing decisions. When choosing between generic and brand-name medications, Americans face decisions influenced by both their wallets and their health needs. With medication costs rising, many are looking for ways to save money without compromising their well-being.

• The government should ensure uniform quality across all the generics, and experts in the field of medicine say only then will doctors prescribe them willingly and with confidence.
• In the five years from 2017 to 2022, imports rose to $197.9 billion, worth almost one third (32.8%) of the cash spent by American patients, insurers, hospitals, and the government on pharmaceuticals (Figure 1).
• Moreover, complex reimbursement procedures, including documentation requirements and approval processes, can delay or deter patients from accessing timely reimbursements.
• Across Mumbai and Palghar districts, around 50% and 42% of medicines were found to be out of stock for the period of 3–6 months respectively.
• Efficient SCM practices are important to ensure the timely distribution of the right products in the right quantity at the right place.
• Together, we can help lead the future of healthcare with the extensive IQVIA network of assets, resources, clients, and partners.

• Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines that include regular and rigorous inspections to ensure compliance.
• From a theoretical point of view, the contribution of intellectual capital to the financial stability and economic prosperity of the pharmaceutical industry, most of all due to patents as immaterial assets deriving from human, structural and/or relational capital, seems indispensable (Festa et al., 2020).
• Table 1 shows America’s top ten sources of pharmaceutical products last year by weight.
• However, it instead tipped the balance in favor of the pharmaceutical industry’s commercial interests, and away from access to affordable medicines.
• Such measures risk decreasing sales of price-controlled products, which in turn could discourage multinational pharmaceutical companies from launching new products in the Indian market.
• By leveraging its strengths, embracing technological advancements, and fostering collaboration, the Indian pharmaceutical industry can continue to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of healthcare delivery both domestically and internationally.
• We conducted a total of 16 in-depth interviews (IDIs) – 10 with pharmacists and 6 with physicians.

The qualitative data was collected to understand the perception of the doctors and pharmacists on generic medicine as well as their views on PMBJP scheme. Following informed consent, the interviews were audiotaped while the first author also took notes. Recordings were translated from the local languages such as Marathi and Hindi in English, and then transcribed verbatim. We used thematic analysis [21], which warranted reading and rereading the transcripts in order to generate the potential themes.

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• Apart from the limited coverage of essential medicines and the significant presence of Fixed dose combinations (FDCs) in the PMBJP medicine list, the availability of surveyed essential drugs was also found to be low (47%) in PMBJP outlets.
• Financially poor people use India’s public health-care system and reserving land in cities for public facilities will serve the population’s low-income earners.
• But branding and marketing cost makes the medicines expensive which leads customers to buy medicines at a higher price.
• The principal aim of this study is to conduct an explorative investigation of the current and future situation of the Indian pharmaceutical industry, with the development of a narrative SWOT analysis to generate an overall scenario analysis.
• To maximize the outcome of this progress, the Global Fund, together with PEPFAR and the National Department of Health, Republic of South Africa, will host the annual ARV Buyer Seller Summit in Maputo, Mozambique, starting on 30 October.

However, as the European Union now negotiates free trade agreements with India and Indonesia — another major generics-producing nation — the bloc’s been proposing far stricter protection of intellectual property rights. And such protection could threaten the affordability of generic medicines these countries export to the Global South. Increased offshoring of drug manufacturing has made imports a growing share of the U.S. pharmaceutical industry. In the five years from 2017 to 2022, imports rose to $197.9 billion, worth almost one third (32.8%) of the cash spent by American patients, insurers, hospitals, and the government on pharmaceuticals (Figure 1). On current trends, the value of imports and their share in the total pharmaceutical spend is likely to continue to rise.

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Following this, we picked the essential drugs from the PMBJP product basket, which were found on all the above-mentioned lists. Of the 35 surveyed medicines, 22 were from the first (for global burden of disease) and second (specific to Southeast Asia) core medicine lists recommended by WHO/HAI methodology and 13 were drawn from the NLEM, 2015. Information was obtained on the availability of essential medicines at PMBJP outlets across primary, secondary and tertiary levels of health care delivery system against the basket of 22, 28 and 35 medicines respectively selected according to therapeutic category. Among the medicines included in the survey, 22 are universal medicines, which are supposed to be available at all levels. Apart from the universal medicines, 6 more medicines were considered at the secondary level, while, in addition to the medicines at the primary and secondary levels, 7 other medicines were assessed for availability at the tertiary level. The list of medicines and consumables has been provided as an additional file (Additional file 1).

Tebra is constantly exploring new ways to leverage technology and partnerships to improve healthcare. Our partnership with GoodRx demonstrates this commitment, with features like automated coupon retrieval paving the way for a more patient-centric and cost-effective future. Addressing patient concerns and misconceptions about medication quality and effectiveness starts with clear communication https://indiangenericprice.com/ and easy access to resources. Patient experience software makes conversations between providers and patients easier so practices can provide timely information to clear up doubts and reinforce trust. Interestingly, 1 in 10 Gen Z and Millennial Americans said they base their preference for brand names on the packaging alone — that’s some pretty effective product design at work.

As a result of Covid-related factory shutdowns in Shanghai, China in early 2022, GE Healthcare was unable to produce enough contrast dye to supply the American market. According to a CNN report, about half the hospitals in the U.S. rely on GE Healthcare for the contrast dye. Vital scans were postponed or denied to patients at many hospitals as doctors and radiologists scrambled to find dye, used only in the most critical cases. “In the case of generic medicines used in hospitals, it is important to distinguish between the actual price paid by trusts and the much higher list prices often quoted,” he concludes.

Doctors regularly write angry letters to newspapers complaining that they cannot find the drugs their patients need. The heart of the problem is that we have driven prices too low, moved supply of generic medicines to a small number of the cheapest-of-the-cheap offshore suppliers, and sacrificed resiliency, manufacturing quality, and backup supply to chase the false god of low prices. Often hailed as the ‘pharmacy of the world,’ the Indian pharmaceutical industry is booming. It jumped from $40 billion in 2021 to an expected $130 billion in 2030, with projections hitting $450 billion by 2047. Beyond just keeping up with the demand at home, the Indian pharma industry commands over 20% of the global pharma supply chain and addresses approximately 60% of the worldwide demand for vaccines.

However, the LDA had revealed the most acceptable quality attributes for the price range of 1–2 rupees and alike higher money value medicine, i.e., 2–3 rupees. The Commission is right to do this for its citizens’ health, and the lesson applies to other parts of the world too. However, in trade agreements, the bloc has continued to pressure developing countries to include disproportionate intellectual property protections that go far beyond the TRIPS agreement. Table 1 shows America’s top ten sources of pharmaceutical products last year by weight. China led the rankings, with 217.2 million kilograms (kg) or 477.8 million lbs of pharmaceutical imports. The IQVIA Human Data Science Cloud is our unique capability designed to enable healthcare-grade analytics, tools, and data management solutions to deliver fit-for-purpose global data at scale.