Young
IIT Bombay entrepreneurs launch a social enterprise and initiate a movement to
educate people about affordable generic medicines.
On 13th Feb 2018, 07:00 pm Generico, a
generic medicine store located at Bhandup West, opp Bhandup Village Police Bite
Chowky, near Jain Mandir, Bhandup Village Road, was inaugurated at hands of Bhandup
MLA Shree Ashok Patil. Siddharth Gadia, one of the partners of Generico explained
the large gathering about the generic drugs movement in India. MLA Shree Ashok
Patil congratulated Agarwal for his initiative of making affordable generic
drugs available for the people of Bhandup.
PRESENT
STATE OF HEALTHCARE IN INDIA
Approximately
4 crore Indians are pushed into the darkness of poverty every year because of
the unaffordable healthcare solutions. Moreover many others prefer death to the
expensive health care. Costly medications further add to the trauma of the
patients while the gap between the manufacturing cost and the MRP range
anything between 500 to 1000 percent. This has resulted in even the basic
public health services to be out of reach of commoners.
GENERIC
ALTERNATIVE TO COSTLY MEDICINAL DRUGS
The
same of top medicine manufacturing companies produce the same medicines with
same components, having the same effectiveness, under another brand which is
distributed directly to trade and are called 'Generic' drugs. These products
exclude the regular promotional costs incurred (100 to 500 percent) on
marketing the products to doctors, hence reducing their cost to bare minimum
and thus making the same medicinal affordable.
GOVERNMENT
INTERVENTION TO PROMOTE GENERIC DRUGS
The
Indian government is also working hard towards making generic medicines
available through its Jan Aushadhi Stores at 80% less than the MRP. Even at
this sale price, the products can carry a gross margin of 20-25% at retail
level. If the medicines are sold at their true price, patients suffering from
lifestyle diseases like diabetes, hypertension, etc. can save as much as Rs.
20,000 - 25,000 per annum.
GENERICO
INITITIAVE TO CREATE A MOVEMENT FOR GENERICS
Generico is a social initiative by IIT Bombay
graduates. Creating awareness about generic drugs, extending maximum benefit to
patients and making expensive drugs affordable to the general public is the
sole objective of team Generico. Today, approximately 70% generic equivalents
are available in the market and Generico plans to push this number to over 90%
while ensuring effectiveness and quality of the generic equivalents. Local self
help groups, NGOs, doctors, housing colonies etc will be roped in to create
awareness about the generic drugs.
