GENERIC VS BRANDED DRUGS
The price of branded drugs can sometimes be as high as 100% [and in some cases even 1000%]. Given below is an illustrative comparison of the price of two drugs made of exactly the same formulation [the second line under each category gives the competing branded name]:
COST COMPARISON
Disease/ use Generic/Salt Name of Drug Pack Size Generic drug Tender Price (Rs) Equivalent
Pain killer – Diclofenac Sodium Tablets IP 50 mg 10 Tab strip = Rs 1.24
Voveran (Novartis) Rs. 31.73
Cholesterol lowering drug – Atorvastatin Tablets IP 10mg 10 Tab Blister = Rs 2.98
Atrova (Zydus) Rs. 103.74
Heart disease – Clopidogrel Tablets IP 75 mg 14 Tab Strip = Rs.8.54
Plavix (Sanofi) Rs. 1615.68
Diabetes – Glimepiride Tablets IP 2 mg 10 Tab Strip = Rs.1.95
Amaryl (Aventis) Rs. 117.40
In most cases HOSPITAL SUPPLIES can be far cheaper. Consider for instance the price at which the Rajasthan Medical Services Corporation sells the following drugs against their printed MRP
Antibiotic Inj. Vancomycin 500 mg 1 vial = 73.17
Printed MRP = 350
Anti malarial Inj. Arteether 150 mg 3 x 1 vials 28
Printed MRP = 310
Get in touch with your doctor and he may possibly supply the generic equivalent of the popular medicines that you use regularly at a fraction of the chemists’ billing.
It is of utmost urgency to educate the citizens about the availability of generic medicines with cost difference.
SPRAT is committed to making a portal – e-ILAJ – offering a host of features including the rating of doctors, hospitals, laboratories etc, It will also provide a list of generic equivalents of popular medicines
Meanwhile let us compile on this thread a list of such medicines of everyday use and we will try to archive such lists into a document for repeat reference.
