Promoting generic medicines

If we consider the high cost of the medicines prescribed by the physicians, which could be beyond the reach of the poor, there is the need for generic medicine. A generic drug is a medication created to be the same as an existing approved brand-name drug in dosage form with safety and efficacy. Generic medicine works in the same way and provides the same clinical benefit as its brand-name version.

Generic drugs are cheaper because the manufacturers have not had the expenses of developing and marketing a new drug. When a company brings a new drug to the market, the firm has already spent substantial money on research, development, marketing, and promotion of the drug. According to the World Health Organization, if physicians prescribe generic medicines, health expenditure can be reduced by 70 per cent in developing countries. However, generic drug consumption is still not so popular in our country. These cheap generic drugs can be a boon for the poor people.

Abu Elias Linkon,

Banasree, Dhaka,

[email protected]