Generic Medications in Asia

In 1984, the United States government instituted the Hatch-Waxman Act that provided pharmaceutical companies a measure of patent protection for new medications. This was meant to give businesses the time needed to recover from the cost of research and clinical trials. It prevents even an online pharmacy based in the U.S. from carrying generic variations of drugs that are still under patent protection. However, this is not necessarily the case for pharmacies outside of U.S. jurisdiction. The patent protection laws of other countries can be effective for a different amount of time, or may not be there at all. These countries can become a useful source of lower-cost generic drugs for patients who buy medication online.

India

There is little doubt that India has the largest generic medication industry in the world. It produces them at a higher volume than any other country, and many drugs that are still under protection elsewhere are produced in the Indian subcontinent. An Internet pharmacy based in India would carry generic medications more often than it would its brand-name counterparts, and some of the larger ones are able to ship their products internationally. People who purchase their medication from an online drugstore might be tempted, but there is one problem. Shipping costs from India to countries such as the United States tend to be very expensive.

China

The Chinese population accounts for 20% of the world’s population, but despite the size of the local pharmaceutical industry, it only accounts for 1.5% of the global market for medications. The health care environment in the country is not one that is robust enough to handle its population, and pharmaceuticals in the country are generally marketed for export. China produces a significant amount of generic medications for a number of prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Many of these are exported, while a significant amount becomes part of the stock for the online pharmacy industry. However, the current healthcare climate in the country is changing, and it is expected that the production facilities will expand as the Chinese government changes its health care environment.

Japan

For a small country, Japan has both a significant population and a large market for medications. The Japanese population is a growing market, and the local pharmaceutical industry produces vast quantities of drugs – both branded and generic. Only a small percentage of these products end up being sold through an online pharmacy, and even less of them are sold outside of Japan. However, as the industry expands, some experts believe that Japan-made generic medications may become more prevalent, especially since Japan has some of the strictest safety and efficacy standards for medication in Asia.

Asia is the largest and most populated continent, and it is no surprise that it has both a large number of online drugstore companies and pharmaceutical product manufacturers. Most of their generic drugs are intended for a local market, but this is slowly changing. More and more of these generic medications are being exported into the international market.