Gosh!! Why are People so Crazy for BRANDS???

While I was busy with my duty at a Pharmacy, a person so hurriedly arrived and took out a strip of Tablet; Prolomet XL 25 which is Metoprolol sustained release tablet. He enquired whether it was available in our pharmacy or not? I searched through the computer and told him that it was shortage in the market. He was so tensed and reasoned that it was a must needed medicine and he had not taken it from past 1 week. I was greatly surprised. I tried to convince him that there were other brands available in our pharmacy and he could take anyone of them. He was not sure of that. He was so adamant.

Same was the case for Repace H; an Antihypertensive drug with losartan potassium and Hydrochlorothiazide. Recently, it was shortage in the market and people were in search of this brand day and night. I was surprised why people waste so much time in searching for a particular brand when there are other renowned and effective brands available as substitutes. Add to this, the psychological effect. How can a person with hypertension added     with other diseases get proper treatment in this scenario? 

I see several messages written on the walls of some Facebook pages about the scarcity of a particular branded medicines whose substitutes are available abundantly. I still don’t find a proper logic behind this search.

With the permission of some doctors and by convincing the patients, I have been able to change the brand of some medicines that are not available in the market. Proper medicine and health care is our priority. We, pharmacists are the bridging force between the Doctors and the patients. So it is our sole duty to convince them, for effective medical services.

I feel Doctors should not stick to one brand and force the patients search the medicine even it is hard to find. Better is to write the alternatives. Why not start writing the Generic form.

Brands are not primary things, the drug that is incorporated within the medicine is the utmost thing. People should understand that. There are many good Nepali, Indian and Bangladeshi brands available in Nepali market.There are some very good Nepali companies supplying quality medicines. Every Nepali medicines cannot be weighed in same balance. And there are some Indian companies whose products are bogus. So why a particular brand. Be choosy…

Proper advice can save the time of the patient. Nothing is worse than psychological effect. This can also be minimized. We have been struggling in the society in establishing ourselves as a strong force in patient care. Time has come to eradicate the thought from people’s mind. So training for proper counselling is the most. The stereotyped behaviour of people can only be changed with everyone’s support; Pharmacists, Doctors and Nepali companies, all should take 

responsibility for this.

By Bijay Koirala