Do you know your medicine? In India, no one tries to know the medicines thinking it is beyond their capability of understanding.
There lies the loophole since people never try to understand their medicines, they will be exploited to pay more. The idea is to question the medicines just as you’d question the shopkeeper when buying a pair of jeans regarding its size, colour, length and inseam, waist, fading, etc. Did you ever try knowing your medicine?
How should I know my medicine?
We take the prescription and give it to the pharmacist without knowing about prescribed drugs. Do you know that your doctor is supposed to write name of the molecule (Generic) and not the brand names but he still chooses to write brand names? Do you know if there are any available substitutes? Have you questioned the doctor about your medicine? How would you know your medicine unless you make any effort to do so?
Education is the key here. Currently, we in the transaction of medicines instead of applying knowledge while buying it. The transaction is simple… get ‘prescription’ and consumes ‘medicine’ – no questions asked. Education will open up avenues of understanding and greater awareness than simply buying medicines effortlessly or mindlessly.
It is high time to convert that transaction into education. For that, you’ll need to ask questions not only to the doctors who prescribe medicines but also to the pharmacists who sell it. This will also stop random distribution by converting it into substitution via education. And it is not just about savings, it is about being aware of what you are consuming as well.
Here is how you can education can replace the transaction when buying medicines. You can ask the following questions to doctors next time they prescribe you-
- Can you write the names of the molecules?
- Can I take Generic medicine instead of the branded one prescribed by you?
- Does change in a company create any problem in the body?
- Is there any substitute for this brand? If yes, then request the doctor to write it down.
- Can change of brands from one generic to another generic make any difference in action?
It is your right to question the doctor. Most doctors won’t say the right stuff because as it is not in their interests. There is a reason why branded medicines are expensive {link to TL1 – blog} and doctors have a role to play there.
Once you are educated enough by reading things on the internet about generic medicines and also by asking doctors, you will use it to save your hard-earned money.
Next time you go to buy medicines at a pharma store, ask your pharmacist the following-
– Substitute for prescribed drug or low-priced drug which has the same content.
– Whether the generic one will be available throughout the year in case of regular consumption.
– To calculate your yearly savings if you change to generic medicines instead of branded ones.
– Try enquiring about the company making/marketing it to know how to evaluate a company and pick up a better one.
Not only doctors but even pharmacists are incentivised to misguide you to do away with changing the medicines and offering no substitutions. It is very much possible that a better company is available at a lower price but you are not aware of it.
The thing is, just like every other commodity, you have choices to make even while buying medicines but it is just that you don’t know about it. Therefore, it is great to have a basic knowledge of it you can counter the sharks in the market to save yourself from getting hunted.
The Bottom-line
What we are trying to do is to get the facts right to the people for their good. It requires you to take actions that help you make the right choices while buying medicines. Do not treat medicines as something like ‘no questions asked’ commodity. Instead, explore the options just like how you’d do while buying a pair of jeans. You may have to hop the shops the same way you do to find shoes that fit your right.
