Generic medicines: Every hospital should follow suit

After the repeated directions, the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) has taken a lead by issuing a circular asking the doctors to prescribe generic drugs only instead of expensive branded drugs. Such a measure would surely bring respite to the poor people, who are being forced to move from pillar to post to manage the hefty amount to buy essential drugs from the markets. There were several instances when the doctors have been accused of being hand-in-glove with the pharmaceutical companies for prescribing expensive drugs to the patients in the hospitals. But, the decision taken by the SKIMS management has put an end to such happening and would bring relief to the patients now. The SKIMS administration has even curtailed the visits of Medical Representatives to the hospital premises, which is an appreciable move to ensure that the generic medicines are prescribed to the patients. It is being stated that the generic medicines are copycat versions of branded drugs and are equal to their branded counterparts in terms of strength, quality, efficacy and safety. They cost 80 to 90 percent less than the branded medicines as manufactures do not have to spend on the development and promotion of the drug. Research has shown that generic drugs significantly reduce deaths among cancer patients. As the efficacy of the generic medicines are equal to the expensive drugs, one fails to understand why there is a need to prescribe expensive medicines to the patients. It is the time when the government should ensure that all the hospitals across Jammu & Kashmir shall follow a suit like SKIMS to ensure that nobody is forced to face hardships and forced to beg for managing the hefty money to buy expensive medicines from the market.