Pharma Veterans

Ramadan, COVID and Work – Blog Post #479 by Asrar Qureshi Dear Colleagues!  This is Pharma Veterans Blog Post #479. Pharma Veterans welcomes sharing of knowledge and wisdom by Veterans for the benefit of Community at large. Pharma Veterans Blog is published by Asrar Qureshi on WordPress, the top blog site. Please email to asrar@asrarqureshi.com for publishing your contributions here. We are in the second half of Ramadan. This is the time when usually the energy level has somewhat gone down. We feel some weakness and get tired more easily. We relate this to our effort of fasting and give ourselves good marks about how pious we are. We also take credit about our steadfastness of fasting even in hot weather and working at the same time. Ramadan brings some reduction in working hours which the employers grant, some more gingerly and some less so. There is a concealed warning that the quantity and quality of work should not be compromised. The pharma salespeople working in the field alw...

Generic vs Brands: Media Hype and Facts V – Blog Post #478 by Asrar Qureshi Dear Colleagues!  This is Pharma Veterans Blog Post #478. Pharma Veterans welcomes sharing of knowledge and wisdom by Veterans for the benefit of Community at large. Pharma Veterans Blog is published by Asrar Qureshi on WordPress, the top blog site. Please email to asrar@asrarqureshi.com for publishing your contributions here. Continued from Previous…… In this last part, we shall see the arguments against generic prescriptions. Here are some arguments. Confusion about Generics and Branded Generics There is a difference between generics and branded generics. Generics are marketed by their chemical name, such as Paracetamol, Aspirin etc. But when we talk about branded generics, these become Panadol and Loprin etc.. In many countries, generics do not carry any brand name at all. The doctor would just write the chemical name, such as omeprazole, and the pharmacist may give any omeprazole from any manufacturer. ...

Generic vs Brands: Media Hype and Facts IV – Blog Post #477 by Asrar Qureshi Dear Colleagues!  This is Pharma Veterans Blog Post #477. Pharma Veterans welcomes sharing of knowledge and wisdom by Veterans for the benefit of Community at large. Pharma Veterans Blog is published by Asrar Qureshi on WordPress, the top blog site. Please email to asrar@asrarqureshi.com for publishing your contributions here. Continued from Previous…… Going in sequence, we move on to look at arguments for and against generics.  Here are some arguments in favor of using generic names for prescriptions. Ease of Use The number of ‘brands’ registered at DRAP has crossed over 110,000. For each formula/composition, numerous brands are available. For some common products such as antibiotics, pain medicines, gastrointestinal drugs, the number of brands for each one crosses 200 may be. This makes it simply impossible for any physician to remember so many brand names. Practically, doctors prefer to remember fe...

Generic vs Brands: Media Hype and Facts III – Blog Post #476 by Asrar Qureshi Dear Colleagues!  This is Pharma Veterans Blog Post #476. Pharma Veterans welcomes sharing of knowledge and wisdom by Veterans for the benefit of Community at large. Pharma Veterans Blog is published by Asrar Qureshi on WordPress, the top blog site. Please email to asrar@asrarqureshi.com for publishing your contributions here. Continued from Previous…… In the previous part, we looked at some arguments in favor of brands. Logically, we should see the arguments against brands now. Here are some reasons why brands should be discouraged. Brand Power Brands carry power in all segments, not just pharmaceuticals. Among consumer products and in fashion line, brands hold ultimate power. The customers are actually hostage to the brand. Buy shoes, clothing, accessories of any big brand, and the name of the brand shall be printed all over the article. The customer who wears or carries their articles is a live, walkin...

Generic vs Brands: Media Hype and Facts II – Blog Post #475 by Asrar Qureshi Dear Colleagues!  This is Pharma Veterans Blog Post #475. Pharma Veterans welcomes sharing of knowledge and wisdom by Veterans for the benefit of Community at large. Pharma Veterans Blog is published by Asrar Qureshi on WordPress, the top blog site. Please email to asrar@asrarqureshi.com for publishing your contributions here. Continued from Previous…… After having examined the DRAP document, we now take up the matter of Generics and Brands in more detail. First a few basic things.  A generic drug is a later version of a drug originally developed by the innovator company. It resembles the innovator drug in many respects but differs in finer details. The efficacy and safety profile are considered to be similar.  Generic drugs are sold all over the world and they have become mainstay of common people’s treatment owing to their prices which may be anywhere 20 – 80% lower than the innovator drug. Eve...

Generic vs Brands: Media Hype and Facts – Blog Post #474 by Asrar Qureshi Dear Colleagues!  This is Pharma Veterans Blog Post #474. Pharma Veterans welcomes sharing of knowledge and wisdom by Veterans for the benefit of Community at large. Pharma Veterans Blog is published by Asrar Qureshi on WordPress, the top blog site. Please email to asrar@asrarqureshi.com for publishing your contributions here. Our media is abuzz with another breaking news: “DRAP has mandated that all drugs shall be prescribed by generic names by doctors”, say the media leads shown in red to maximize the impact. We shall look at it in three ways. One, on the merit of the available information; two, the arguments for it; and three, the arguments against it. These are the available details. • There is a memo from Drug Regulatory Authority Pakistan – DRAP, dated – nil – signed by Director Pharmacy Services, Dr. Abdul Rashid who has unusually put the date of 16 April below his signature. • The reference at the...

Ramadan – The Month of Extraordinary Commercial Blessings – Blog Post #473 by Asrar Qureshi Dear Colleagues!  This is Pharma Veterans Blog Post #473. Pharma Veterans welcomes sharing of knowledge and wisdom by Veterans for the benefit of Community at large. Pharma Veterans Blog is published by Asrar Qureshi on WordPress, the top blog site. Please email to asrar@asrarqureshi.com for publishing your contributions here. Ramadan is here once again. For some, Ramadan comes too soon and for some, it is awaited to come. Among the latter category, the primary motive for waiting for Ramadan is the desire to have ‘Extraordinary Blessings’ which are not possible in usual days. For the ordinary believers, Ramadan marks the time when fasting brings more control and piety in the self. Prayers become regular among those who may otherwise be irregular. Additional prayers are offered as Taraweeh and for the more zealous ones, there are other prayers also. Recitation of the Holy Qua’an becomes a dai...