In South Asia, Nepal and Pakistan are the only countries where the generic drugs are prescribed lesser than the branded ones. In Bangladesh, about 80 percent of medicines that are prescribed by the doctors are the generic drugs. In Pakistan the heavy use of these generic drugs is in the province Khyber Pakhtunkhawa (KPK) according to the independent experts. Sindh is responsible of adopting the branded medicines more than the generic medicines.
The JPMA (Journal of Pakistan Medical Association) a past study tells that the unreasonable use of mednicines prescribed by the prescriber and then followed by consumer is a serious issue. It says that the costs of health care in general and drugs in particular are increasing everywhere, and the use…show more content… "An irrational pricing policy has led to a situation where the local manufacturing of medicines at cheaper rates is not a lucrative optionfor the local pharmaceutical industry" He argued.
“Doctors are indeed involved in prescribing expensive medicines,” says Dr Shamim, “but, the onus of blame should also be put on the patient who believes in expensive drugs instead of realising that there is no difference in the active pharmaceutical ingredient.”
She says that even the doctors who prefer to prescribe the generic medicine get in pressure of the patients who say that they want the branded and expensive products.
Dr Noor Khan a senior Physician cancurs with Shamim.“Generic drugs were meant to be the ultimate panacea for the country and the path to providing universal healthcare. Today, thousands of patients die because of costly medicines.”
Although there is no record of the extra money the patients pay for such branded medicines but still Dr Khan frames the argument and He beleives that these losses are more five billion rupees every