How Generic medicines cost must less than Branded ones? Are they equally effective? A full analysis

Now what are Generic medicines and what is the difference between them and Branded medicines, if at all there is one?

New Delhi: For the last few decades the demand of Generic medicines has been increasing especially after the introduction of the People's Medicine Scheme (Jan Aushadhi) in 2008 aimed to make quality generic medicines accessible to the general public at affordable rates, reports Dynamite News correspondent.

Now what are Generic medicines and what is the difference between them and Branded medicines, if at all there is one?

Branded And Generic Medicines

When a new medicine is released, it's patented and sold under a brand name and can be called Branded medicines. When that patent expires, generic versions of the drug may be sold by other companies. These differ in minor ways from the branded version, but must have similar efficacy.

A generic medicine is a medicine that is developed to be the same as a medicine that has already been authorised.

Why Are Generic Medicines Less Expensive?

No research and development cost: Generic medicines are copies of already discovered medicines, so it does not cost much to develop them.

Less marketing: Branded medicines are promoted through TV, newspapers and doctors, while generic medicines are sold without promotion.

More competition: Many companies make the same generic medicine, which automatically reduces the prices.

How Much Generic Medicines Effective?

If we talk about the efficacy of the generic medicines then we can say that it is the same because Generic drugs contain the same active ingredients as the branded drug. The dosage, mode of action, route of administration and quality are almost the same. Generic drugs in India also have to be approved by the drug control authority (such as CDSCO), which ensures their quality.

However, there may be some differences such as excipients may be different, which may cause slight differences in absorption in some cases. Quality may vary if the manufacturer follows lower quality standards, so only buy generic drugs from trusted companies.