Price of drug does not matter

By George Kibumba You have observed that drugs that treat the same conditions may grossly differ in price. Because of such price differences, some people think that the more expensive medication is, the more effective the treatment. In addition, some say that a doctor who prescribes very expensive drugs is better than one who prescribes cheaper substitutes. Similarly, others believe that low cost drugs (from India) are inferior to more expensive alternatives (from Europe). Medicines containing the same drugs differ in price and appearance because different companies make them. Drug companies incur different costs of production. The cost of production is always reflected in the ultimate retail price. Drug companies that develop new drugs also spend a lot of money in research. That expenditure is reflected in the cost of the drug when it is approved and launched for use. When a pharmaceutical company successfully develops a new drug, a patent will generally protect the financial interests of that company for about 17 years. This is to enable the company to get back the money put in the research. No other manufacturer is allowed to produce and market a patented drug before the patent expires. The inventors of the new drug enjoy monopoly and this often makes such drugs more expensive, though not necessarily more effective or safer than old alternatives. When the patent expires, other drug manufacturers can apply to relevant authorities to be permitted to produce and market the drug that was previously patented. The applicant must show that the product made by the company is as good as the previously patented drug made by the pioneer manufacturer. The drug product must also conform to other standards. The company seeking to manufacture a previously patented drug may give the product a name different from that given by the original manufacturer. Names given to drugs by manufacturers are called brand names. Otherwise every drug has one internationally known name called the generic name. For example, you may have noted brands such as PanadolR and KamadolR. Both PanadolR and KamadolR contain paracetamol. Paracetamol is the generic name. SmithKline Beecham calls the paracetamol it makes panadol R. Kampala Pharmaceutical Industries calls its paracetamol KamadoR. PanadolR may be more expensive than KamadolR, but higher price does not necessarily mean that PanadolR is superior to KamadolR at relieving pain and vice versa. Do not worry buy the paracetamol you can afford. You can therefore spend much less on medication by asking for drugs by their generic names. However there are two exceptions. The first is that when you are allergic to ingredients in a certain brand, you should not use that brand. You can know that you are allergic to a brand when you get unusual reactions such as itching, rashes and so on from specified brands. The second is that if you have epilepsy or hypertension, heart failure, you may need specific brands. Some drugs for epilepsy and at times hypertension, require a regular and unique pattern of absorption for a good response. The pattern of drug absorption is at times different for different brands of drugs for heart failure, hypertension or epilepsy. Ingredients that are added to some drugs used in treatment of these conditions uniquely influence the pattern of drug absorption from some brands. For that reason some people with epilepsy, hypertension, and heart failure may not respond positively to certain brands. Remember that the country of origin does not matter. National Drug Authority (NDA) ensures that all the brands on the Ugandan market conform to the standard of the brand of the company that first developed the drug under consideration, and also other standards. The writer is a pharmacist Ends