Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Apr 19: A medicos’ body, Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) today said the drug mafia is sabotaging generic drug use in Kashmir.
In a statement issued here, the DAK president Nisar-ul-Hassan said that the drug mafia is preventing affordable generic drugs from reaching the poor. “There is a deep-rooted nexus between doctors and pharma companies that is keeping generic drugs away from patients. Doctors prescribe expensive brand-name drugs when equally effective cheaper generic versions are available.
For writing these costly drugs to gullible patients, pharma companies provide these doctors everything from luxury cars, family trips to household items. Clinicians are fed and bred by pharma companies for pushing patients to purchase branded medicines. This unholy nexus is misleading public by disseminating false information regarding generic drugs that is preventing generic medicines from getting popular,” he said.
While use of generic drugs has increased over time, in Kashmir doctors continue to dole out expensive therapies for monetary gains, the DAK president said, adding that despite generic drugs save lives, doctors shy away from prescribing them and instead prescribe brand-name drugs.
“A generic drug is a medication that is equivalent to a brand-name in dosage, strength, route of administration, quality, safety, performance and intended use. Generic drugs are 80-90% less costly than brand-name drugs. Research has found that out-of-pocket costs were lowered significantly among patients who were prescribed generic medications compared with patients who have been prescribed brand-name drugs,” Dr Nisar said.
Follow our WhatsApp channel