The patient is the end consumer in the drug market. He buys the products on prescription by medical practitioners or buys over the counter products (OTC). Unlike the other commercial markets, in the pharmaceutical market, the patient does not have much say on the price that he is ready to spend on the product because the consumer buys a drug or product out of necessity (with the exception of cosmetics and similar products) and thus he doesn't have much of a choice as to which product to buy. The patient buys whichever product the doctor prescribes.

The patient always wants the drug prices to be economical and affordable. Nowadays, the patient is gaining awareness about different products available in the market and he is able to choose safe alternatives that are affordable. This is possible due to the vast expanse of technology and communication that is prevalent these days like the internet and also various books. Also, several social organisations are striving hard to deliver drugs at an affordable price to the needy.

However some patients have a notion that the prices of drugs are directly related to their quality. They feel that the higher cost of the drug, the more effective it would be to decrease their ailment or condition. So, even when some companies provide the same product at a lower cost, the patients feel that it is inferior in quality and prefer to buy higher cost products. The professional community of pharmacists is trying very hard to prove that this is not entirely true by scientifically and statistically showing that cost effectiveness and therapeutic efficacy are not essentially related.

On the whole, the patients are to be educated about the various drug products available as well as to make drugs available to the poor and needy. A combined effort of the government, doctors and pharmacists is essential to make this successful.

Please share any real life incidents, as we were all a patient some time of our lives.

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