No takers for generic medicines in Andhra Pradesh

Visakhapatnam: The effort of the government to promote less expensive generic medicines is yet to catch on due to indifference of doctors and poor visibility of the 26 Jeevandhara generic drug stores.

“The sale of the generic medicines has improved slightly in the urban areas, but there is very poor response in rural areas. Mass awareness needs to be taken up and also most important is that the doctors should encourage the use of generic drugs,” said Jeevandhara assistant project manager Yerri Naidu.

Speaking about the reason behind the cold response to generic drugs, a woman pharmacist at a Jeevandhara outlet here said that only doctors at government hospitals were prescribing generic drugs while most of the people preferred private hospitals or clinics.

“The purpose was to help poor people as they are not able to buy branded medicines. The outcome is just opposite as financially sound people and those who have an idea about the composition of medicines are now mostly buying medicines from us,” the pharmacist said.

“Many poor and illiterate people still end up buying costly branded medicines as either the doctors don’t prescribe or due to lack of awareness and knowledge,” she added.  

MCI regulations state that every physician should prescribe drugs with generic names legibly and preferably in capital letters and he/she shall ensure that there is a rational prescription and use of drugs.

“However, many doctors are not following this. The usage of generic medicines would have multiplied had the doctors followed these guidelines,” said a pharmacist at a medicine store in MVP colony.

“We keep very limited generic medicines as doctors hardly prescribe them,” he added.