Abstract
A Study on the Prices of some Branded Drugs of eight Therapeutic Categories
Subash Philip and KG Revikumar
1. Karpagam University, Coimbatore,Tamilnadu,India-641 021
2. National College of Pharmacy,Manassery, Calicut,Kerala,India.
Article history: Received: 10 June 2012, revised: 14July, 2012, accepted:5 August 2012, Available online:10October 2012
Abstract
Plan: Five fastest moving brands of 54generic drugs in eight therapeutic classes comprising a total of 323 brandswere ranked based on retail sales twelve major retailers of Kannur and Kasargodin Kerala using a pretested questionnaire to find the percentage variation inprices between brands.
Prologue: Over the years the numbers of drugswhose prices are controlled have come down to ninety one. Rest of the drugs arepriced with huge profit margins and even life saving and essential medicineshave not been spared.
Methodology: A preliminary survey was conducted to understand thetherapeutic categories which had highest sales. The selected brands were rankedin the order of their sale volume.
Outcome:Percentageprice variation between different fast moving brands in the therapeutic classesof Analgesics, Antiasthma, Antibiotics, Cardiovascular, Antidiabetics,Antiulcer, Hypolipidemics and Antipsychotics varies from 33% – 1620%. A pricecorridor should be fixed for brands coming under these generics to preventexploitation of patients. Branding and marketing strategies enable top-ofthe-mind brand recall to catapult brands to the dominant positions in the mindsof prescribers.
Key words: prices, branded drugs, pharmaceuticals, retail price
ForCorrespondence:
subashphilip@hotmail.com
Rid: G-8742-2012.
Hygeia.J.D.Med.Vol.4 (2), Oct. 2012© 2012,
Hygeia journal for drugs andmedicines, all rights reserved. 2229 3590, 0975 6221