Medicines and drugs are so expensive that a large part of population cannot afford it. This is more pertinent in developing countries like India where large chunk of population lives in rural areas, many of which are either below poverty line or close to it. Owing to this, great efforts are being made to popularize the generic drugs rather than the branded ones. This would help the lower sections of society to have equal access to medicines and thus good health. Another reason for the use of generic drugs is to reduce the unethical practices of doctors who deliberately prescribe branded drugs over generic drugs.

It’s important to know that generic drugs are no different in composition from the branded ones but are low cost and thus affordable to the poor. There are several factors that have refrained generic drugs from coming into regular use; these include- lack of awareness about them, powerful impact of branded medicines as well as the prevailing thought that if it’s cheap then it may be of inferior quality. In fact, the first time when many people came to know about the existence of generic drugs was through the TV serial ‘Satyamev Jayate’. The advertisements have made the medicine brand names so popular that the medicine nowadays is synonymous to the brand. More often than not doctors too prescribe branded medicines rather than the generic ones. It is high time that ample promotion of generic drugs should be done so as to make healthcare affordable to the poor.

Hence, in order to make healthcare facilities available to all irrespective of rich or poor, it’s important on the part of doctors to prescribe generic drugs at least to those who cannot afford the expensive branded medicines. This could prove very helpful in making healthcare available to all at comparatively lower cost.