Branded vs SayaCare: The Real Cost of Diabetic Medicines

India’s ascent to Diabetes Capital of the world began in the early 2000s. Today, 1 in 10 Indians live with diabetes ⁽¹⁾. Diabetes cannot be cured, only managed. Managing diabetes goes beyond lifestyle changes and often requires daily, lifelong medication. For most patients, these medicines comes as a significant out-of-pocket expenditure. With no insurance product or government health scheme covering the cost, patients are left to bear the burden themselves. Private doctors often prescribe branded drugs, driving up monthly expenses, while even prescriptions written with salt names by government doctors frequently translate into branded alternative at the pharmacy. 

The result is simple. The patient pays more than necessary. This article shows what the difference looks like. Branded medicines versus generics at SayaCare. The price gap can be as high as 80%. The salt is the same. The result is the same. Only the cost is different. 

What is Diabetes?  

Once diabetes is diagnosed, it becomes a long-term condition. The problem begins when the body fails to produce enough insulin. Insulin is the hormone that regulates how sugar in the blood is broken down. Without it, sugar levels rise. Diagnosis is straightforward. A blood sample is collected from a vein and tested. The numbers tell the story. 

In a Fasting State: 

1. Less than 100 mg/dl means no diabetes. 
2. Between 100 and 125 mg/dl means prediabetes. 
3. More than 126 mg/dl confirms diabetes. 

Two hours after a meal, in what is called the postprandial state, the thresholds change. 

1. 140 mg/dl or lower is normal. 
2. Between 140 and 199 mg/dl is prediabetic. 
3. Above 200 mg/dl is diabetic. 

Cost Comparison between Branded and SayaCare’s Tested Medicines 

Method: The study was conducted on seven diabetic patients. Their ages ranged from 44 to 64 years and included both men and women. All prescriptions were uploaded on SayaCare’s website in September. For each patient, the price of a single tablet was taken. This was then multiplied by 30 to reflect a month’s supply, since the prescribed medicines for diabetes are taken daily. The monthly cost was calculated for each medicine, along with the percentage saved. The average saving across all medicines was then derived. 

Result

1. The average monthly spend on branded diabetic medicines – ₹1,770.43.  
2. The average monthly spend on same diabetic medicine from SayaCare – ₹825.85.  
3. The saving was 53.35%. 

Across seven prescriptions, doctors prescribed 20 medicines. Every one of them was branded. The highest monthly bill came to ₹3,315 for four medicines. The same set from SayaCare was ₹1,962. The saving in that case was 41 percent. 

The bar graph shows the difference in cost. Buying diabetic medicines from SayaCare can reduce the monthly bill by as much as 80%. On average, the saving is 53.35 percent compared to branded prescriptions. If you want to know why doctors prescribe branded medicines, click here to know more. 

Conclusion

Branded medicines raise the monthly cost of diabetic treatment. They do not guarantee better health. SayaCare’s tested medicines do. The difference is clear in both outcome and price, with an average saving of 53%. Think of it like gold. Hallmark gold ensures purity. If you could buy the same gold at half the market price, you would not hesitate. SayaCare does the same for medicines. The value remains. The cost comes down. 

Mahak Phartyal

Mahak Phartyal completed her bachelor’s in pharmacy from Veer Madho Singh Bhandari Uttarakhand Technical University. She previously worked as a Medical Writer at Meril Life Sciences, where she wrote numerous scientific abstracts for conferences such as India Live 2024 and the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). During her college years, she developed a keen research interest and published an article titled “Preliminary Phytochemical Screening, Physicochemical and Fluorescence Analysis of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis and Syzygium cumini Leaves.”