Building access to healthcare in rural India: possibility and feasibility of low-cost medicine

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the possibility of marketing specific low-cost drugs across segmented markets in India. Design/methodology/approach - The study is empirical in nature, based on the primary data gathered through actual field survey. The study analyzes the attitudes, perceptions and experiences of five stockists, 50 physicians and 100 patients drawn from 20 healthcare organizations from different parts of the State of Karnataka in India. Findings - The survey findings revealed that patients would be happy and would have better access to medicine if the same is offered at a lower price. Doctors are willing to prescribe generic drugs. Generic drug market has good economic feasibility. At present, the consumption of generic drugs to branded drugs in hospitals is found to be in the ratio 2:3 while for the stockist it is in the ratio 1:2. The study also revealed the fact that patients prefer to take generic medicines mostly on the basis of physicians' advice. They do consider cost but generally go by the prescriptions of the doctors. Practical implications - Prescribing generic drugs would definitely contribute to greater use of medicine by the rural poor and thus better health conditions in rural areas. Low-cost medicine is an opportunity for pharmaceutical companies because consumers of healthcare are increasingly concerned with the quality and the cost of drugs that they buy. This research enhances sales and marketing management in terms of creating awareness of the importance of doctors' perceptions. Healthcare providers would benefit from the findings of this paper. Originality/value - As the generic drug market encompasses a variety of healthcare professionals and users, this paper establishes a practical methodology to have an understanding about the attitudes, perceptions and experiences of stockists, physicians and patients regarding the usage of such low-cost drugs.