A number of steps have been taken by the Government to promote use of generic medicines. Circulars/ instructions have been issued from time to time to all Central Government hospitals, CGHS dispensaries and State Governments for encouraging prescription of generic medicines.

-Indian Government initiative: Jan Jagriti Abhiyan to encourage use of generic medicines to increase their availability.  

- What is Generic Drugs: A generic drug is a pharmaceutical product, usually intended to be interchangeable with an innovator product, which is manufactured without a licence from the innovator company and marketed after the expiry date of the patent or other exclusive rights.

- Approval procedure of generic drugs: Drug companies must submit an abbreviated new drug application (ANDA) for approval to market a generic product. The Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, more commonly known as the Hatch-Waxman Act, made ANDAs possible by creating a compromise in the drug industry.  Generic drugs are certainly as effective as, but much cheaper than, brand-name drugs.Generic Drugs are as much effective as brand drugs because Generic drugs are required to have the same active ingredient, strength, dosage form, and route of administration as the brand name product. Generic drugs need not contain the same inactive ingredients as the brand name product. When it comes to pricing, there is a big difference between generic and brand name drugs. On an average, the cost of a generic drug is 80 to 85 percent lower than the brand name product.