DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2018.v06i10.062

Pages: 3987-3991

Diabetes is a disproportionately expensive disease which requires a lifelong medical treatment. Many patients cut back on medication use because of cost pressures. It is claimed that the cost of generic medicines having the same quality as that of branded medicines is much cheaper than their branded equivalent. The present study was conducted to compare hypoglycemic effect and cost of generic oral hypoglycemic agents or oral antidiabetic agents (OADs) with their branded counterparts in this part of country. Patients, who fulfilled the selection criteria, were divided into 3(three) categories with two subgroups in each category as follows: Category 1: Patients received generic or branded metformin-500mg/day. Category 2: Patients received generic or branded metformin-1000mg/day. Category 3: Patients received generic or branded (Glimeperide1mg + metformin 500mg)/day. Body weight, blood pressure, fasting and postprandial glucose level were recorded at initial visit and at the end of 30 days. The cost of 30days therapy of branded OADs and their generic versions were recorded. Patients were monitored continuously throughout the study for any adverse event. In this study 162 patients were enrolled, out of all patients 99 were male and 63 were female. The reduction of fasting and postprandial glucose level by generic metformin 500mg/day, generic metformin 1000mg/day and generic (glimepiride 1mg+metformin 500mg)/day was comparable with their branded counterparts. There was no statistical difference between generic drug and branded counterparts in relation to weight and blood pressure change. The cost of generic OADs in this study was much cheaper (3.79 to 11 times) than their branded counterparts. There was no significant difference of AEs among the groups. The generic metformin and generic glimepiride-metformin combination are equally effective and safe as compared to their branded counterparts.