People often mistake terms that have the same or similar words embedded in them. This is true for terms like ‘generic medicine’ and ‘telemedicine’. To differentiate between the two terms which are often used loosely enough to create confusion, you need to know what each term means singularly.
In the field of health and medicine, both terms are used extensively and it’s important to know what each refers to when you hear the terms or see them. One of them, generic medicine, refers to actual drugs that are alternatives to prescription drugs. Unlike their branded counterparts, they are less expensive. Telemedicine is the term used to describe the process of diagnosis of a medical condition, and consequently, its treatment, through the use of telecommunication technology. Let’s try to gain more clarity between the two terms through a more detailed explanation.
What is Generic Medicine?
Any drug that is a medical drug used for treatment, almost identical to a branded drug, comes under the purview of ‘generic medicine’. With respect to strength, dose, effect, administration, form, quality and safety, generic drugs imitate branded medicines. Nonetheless, because they don’t have appropriate patents to cover them, they cannot be sold as prescription medication. Yet, many pharmacies do stock them, and you can buy them at a cheaper rate compared to prescription drugs. Physicians and medical experts are wary of prescribing these, but though some are almost the same (if not identical) as branded drugs, they have therapeutic effects that resemble brand-name medicines. Here are some differences between branded drugs and generic drugs:
- Cost of Medication – Generic drugs are not under the security of patents and other mandated copyrights. Hence, they are more affordable, costing almost one-third the price of branded drugs.
- Package, Colour and Form – Generic medicines may vary in packaging, colour and shapes, in order to give branded drugs exclusivity.
- Inactive Ingredients – Drugs contain inactive ingredients like flavouring components and preservatives. There may be differences in these parts of generic drugs and branded drugs, but this doesn’t affect the efficacy of use.
Generic Medicine in India
To pay for all your healthcare bills in India, you can use a digital payment tool like the Health EMI Network Card from Bajaj Finserv, which is easy to download Health card use can be applied to buy generic medicines from any pharmacy in India. Indian laws state that the sale of generic drugs can be undertaken by pharmacies. While you purchase prescription medication, you can request alternate generic substitutes, and your pharmacy is obliged to sell them to you. You not only get the benefit of cashless payment with the Health EMI Network Card, but also the additional boon of saving on the cost of certain drugs. Today, you can buy many generic drugs online too, and drug manufacturers make them available through tech-savvy pharmacy apps. Pharma companies can use pharma serialization software which helps in supply chain management.
What is Telemedicine?
The practice of medicine to deliver healthcare from a distance via the aid of technology is called telemedicine. For instance, your physician may be located far away from you but uses the infrastructure of telecommunication to deliver diagnosis and treatment. Telecommunication technology may take the form of computers, video calls, phone calls and even messaging. This is a practice and a procedure, whereas generic medicine has to do with actual drugs. Generic medicine advice may be given over a telecommunication system by a doctor to the patient. The approach of healthcare professionals to assess, diagnose and give treatment to patients from a distance has seen a striking evolution in the past ten years.
Telemedicine Advantages
In the present-day world, telemedicine has caught on as it prevents a physical examination by a doctor, yet gives you the advantage of healthcare perks. Through the Health EMI Network Card which you can simply download, health card benefits can be used to pay for a telemedicine-based consultation with your physician. Like generic medicine, telemedicine holds several advantages for patients and healthcare providers.
- Improved Efficiency – As consultations and diagnosis can be done from anywhere, the whole process is efficient.
- Cost-effective – Healthcare professionals don’t have to spend on infrastructure costs like clinics and ancillary medical staff, as they can consult patients virtually from their residences. Patients, in the same vein, cut down the costs of travel to clinics.
- Saving in Effort – There is a massive saving in effort for doctors and patients. Doctors save on costs like running a clinic, rent and travelling to and fro, plus paying salaries to employees. They also exert less effort as they don’t have to keep a track of appointments. On the patient side, there are fewer cancellations of appointments.
- Privacy – This is guaranteed with telemedicine as only your physician and you are present for consultation and diagnosis or treatment.
- Less Exposure – Now more than ever, telemedicine assures you of the prevention of exposure to other potentially contagious illnesses.
The Boon of Health EMI Network Card
Bajaj Finserv offers the Health EMI Network Card to its existing clients, which is a digital payment instrument that comes with a pre-approved loan. Offering loans of up to 4 lakh INR, you can pay for healthcare without cash initially, and repay the amount in easy No Cost EMIs later.
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