| Introduction: What is a generic drug? Body: Highlight challenges in ensuring the quality of generic medicines and their impact on public health. Conclusion: Way forward |
A generic drug is a pharmaceutical drug that is equivalent to a brand-name product in dosage, strength, route of administration, quality, performance, and intended use. Recently, the National Medical Council (NMC) directed all doctors to prescribe only generic names and not brand names to improve access to affordable medicines as part of their ethical commitment to patients.
Challenges in ensuring the quality of generic medicines
- Weak Enforcement: Failure to consistently enforce quality standards and regulations can result in gaps in the oversight and management of generic medicine manufacture and distribution. This is particularly valid for small, unregistered manufacturers.
- Lack of Infrastructure: It’s possible that some pharmaceutical production facilities, especially the smaller ones, do not have the technology and infrastructure required for quality control. The quality of generic medications may vary as a result of this.
- Problems with the Supply Chain: The pharmaceutical supply chain is frequently complicated, involving several middlemen. Subpar or counterfeit medications may find their way onto the market as a result of inadequate monitoring at every level.
- Restricted Resources: Some smaller pharmaceutical companies may lack the funding necessary to devote to R&D or to upholding standards for high-quality manufacturing. This can have an impact on their items’ quality.
Impacts on Public Health
- Ineffectiveness of Treatment: Medicines that are subpar or counterfeit may not have the right amount of active components, which makes treatment ineffective. Drug-resistant disease strains may spread as a result, and illness may last longer and cost more to treat.
- Deteriorating Health diseases: If patients are using generic medications for long-term illnesses, their diseases could get worse if the medications are of poor quality or don’t adhere to regulations.
- Loss of Faith in the Healthcare System: Events involving subpar medications have the potential to reduce public confidence in the healthcare system, which may discourage people from seeking medical attention or from following the recommended course of treatment.
- High expenditure on health: Ineffective therapies might result in the need for further medical procedures, hospital stays, and higher healthcare expenses for both the patient and the healthcare system.
Conclusion
Over 90% of all necessary medications must be readily available. Free diagnostics and medications are acceptable policies to guarantee accessible, inexpensive medications for all under Universal Health Care, but their execution must be closely watched. Expanding the Janaushadhi Kendra network is necessary to guarantee the availability of less expensive medications.
