Buying medicines can get confusing because the same tablet or syrup is often sold under different names and prices. Medicines come in two main forms: branded drugs and generic drugs. A branded drug is like buying Bisleri or Aquafina. You pay not just for the water but also for the bottle and the trust in the brand. A generic drug is like buying purified water. It is the same water with the same purity, but without the fancy label or advertising costs.
For example, Crocin is a branded medicine for fever and pain relief, but its active ingredient is simply paracetamol. Whether the box says Crocin or paracetamol, the chemical inside that lowers your fever is exactly the same. Both branded and generic drugs must meet the same quality and safety standards set by regulators, which means they are equally effective.
Dolo-650 and Calpol are branded versions of paracetamol, while plain paracetamol tablets are generic. Lipitor is a branded version of atorvastatin, used to lower cholesterol, while atorvastatin tablets sold without a brand name are generic. Omez is a branded version of omeprazole, while omeprazole tablets are the generic form. Doctors may prescribe branded drugs because patients recognise them, but asking for the generic version can save money without compromising treatment.
Patented brands are created by the company that invented the drug, after spending billions on research.
Lipitor, invented by Pfizer, is one such example. Once the patent expires, other companies like Cipla, Sun Pharma, or Dr Reddy’s produce branded generics such as Atorvas or Lipvas. In fact, most ‘branded’ medicines sold in India today are actually branded generics.
There is also a third category: unbranded generics. These are sold only under their chemical name, with no advertising and very simple packaging. An example is atorvastatin 10 mg tablets sold at Jan Aushadhi Kendras. In August 2023, the National Medical Commission made it mandatory for doctors to prescribe unbranded generics, warning of penalties for non-compliance. However, many doctors remain hesitant.
Dr Purushothaman Kuzhikkathukandiyil, professor of pediatrics at MES Medical College, explained that drug choice depends on quality, safety, efficacy, and pharmacokinetics. He noted that quality can sometimes be compromised as prices fall, and without a system to guarantee standards, insisting only on unbranded generics may not succeed. Health activists, meanwhile, have raised concerns about the high prices of branded generics sold through hospital pharmacies, often made costlier by minor tweaks to cheaper copies.