Continuously rising medicines cost-- Why ?

I have to buy this Vymada 50 for my mother, it costs Rs 1100 for a strip . Just found out why i was not able to find generic versions, it was blocked by Novartis.

timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Cheaper hypertension drug blocked - Times of India

India Business News: Mumbai: Affordable versions of a hypertensive combination drug, Valsartan, will go off retail shelves soon.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com timesofindia.indiatimes.com
It is interesting that generic version of this drug by Cipla is available but it costs same as Novartis so no one will buy it at that price.
 
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Arjun said:
I have to buy this Vymada 50 for my mother, it costs Rs 1100 for a strip . Just found out why i was not able to find generic versions, it was blocked by Novartis.
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Buy Vymada 100 which costs only Rs. 81 more and take only half pill. You save almost 50%. Order online, save another 20%.

Arjun said:
It is interesting that generic version of this drug by Cipla is available but it costs same as Novartis so no one will buy it at that price.
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I don't think ciple can be called as generic in this case. I think it's patent licensed to ciple.
 
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My cousin whos a doc suggested that I get prescriptions based on compound names rather than brand names so I try to follow that as much as possible. My dad has been taking BP tablets for close to 3decades now. Earlier he used to take Enace D mfg by Abbott which is currently priced at Rs320 for 30tabs. The same from generic is Rs48 for 30tabs. Enam D from Dr Reddys lab is Rs84 for 30tabs. Same compound, same dosage. Doctors usually prescribe brands which give them their kickbacks. Highly prevalent with Dermas and Gyns. They prescribe high cost brand meds, available only near their clinics etc etc. Faced this a lot during my derma treatments. The margins in medicines are huge. I remember my friend narrating stories about his brother in law who runs a pharmacy about how he had his house furnished and vacations sponsored by Pharma companies.
 
I don't know about sastimedicine. I always order from 1mg and netmeds but I use search engine of medplusmart. Because netmeds and 1mg both have incomplete or smaller catalogue of meds. Neither of these website list restricted drugs.

1mg search is very famous among illiterate medical running people because it's user-friendly and not because it's comprehensive. I can't blame anyone using 1mg. Netmeds, on the other hand, has the worst search algorithm. It's alternate medicine is completely broken and searching by chemical compound doesn't always work because it has catalogued same chemical compound with different names (for example, some meds catalogued under paracetamol while others under acetaminophen, even though both are the same thing)

BTW, 1mg is owned by Tata and Reliance owns the Netmeds. Big Boss knows ya.
 
To everyone.. do not forget to take Bill/Invoice/Receipt for any Medicine you buy from ANY NEW STORES for First Few Months .
If seller print/write Medicine Batch Number etc. on Invoice do not forget to Match with Batch Number Printed on Medicine Pack also.

Do not hesitate to ask for at least 10% discount on Brand Medications also from your regular pharmacy store (I'm asking for and always get same, if he/she said no then I move for next shop and get the medication with discount from other/next shop).

My regular pharmacy shopkeeper is so much friendly with me that if he have very low margin on some products then he politely tell me that he just earning 10-15% on that brand and I happily buy same at MRP.
 
MadAxe said:
Which is an authentic source of finding an alternative of a medicine?
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Most of the online med stores list alternatives based on the chemical compounds of the medicine you're looking at and they also list by how much % the alternatives are costlier or cheaper than the one you're buying.
I avoid online stores and buy from my regular pharmacist. He usually suggests home remedies and tells me not to buy some of the medicines for minor ailments. Since we are in the suburbs he even arranges for herbs instead of meds.
 
News just in,

66 children dead. WHO linked the death to Indian pharma company Maiden Pharmaceuticals.​


www.latestly.com

Cough and Cold Syrups Made by India’s Maiden Pharmaceuticals Under WHO Scanner After 66 Children Die in Gambia | LatestLY

"The four medicines are cough and cold syrups produced by Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited, in India. WHO is conducting further investigation with the company and regulatory authorities in India," WHO Tweeted. Cough and Cold Syrups Made by India’s Maiden Pharmaceuticals Under WHO Scanner After 66...
www.latestly.com www.latestly.com

WHO is checking more details. But if it finds the clear evidence, it'll be bigger than Ranbaxy and Dr Reddy generics scandals.
 
I smell some subotage from western phamacy giants (espcially China Based) as Indian pahramcy (generic) start doing well in US Market long time after covid

WHO have no information other than the BRAND NAME & Country Of Origin ..
 
TEUser2K1 said:
With level of medical costs, we will soon reach USA's level of medical expenses with Indian quality.
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And with our lowest salaries it will be very hard to cope with such rising costs in all areas of life.
Govt. will help every pharma co. and other industries to grow and get its own share but wont do anything for pvt. working population.
I think the base salary should increase to 10 lacs.pa at least where people are sill getting 3-3.5 lacs.
 
burntwingzZz said:
Use Generic Medicines
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I have been using generics even before that word was known in India. There are good generics and there are useless generics and finally you have harmful too.

I'll suggest to stay away from generics if one doesn't understand them or have no time to study them. Regulations and laws are lax in India as they are politicised. And Indian med industry has a proven history of cheating the regulations.
 
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