Consumer Behaviour Towards Generic and Branded OTC Pharmacy Products: A Study with Special Reference to East, West Godavari and Visakhapatnam Districts

This study has systematically examined consumer behaviour towards generic and branded OTC pharmacy products across East Godavari, West Godavari, and Visakhapatnam districts of Andhra Pradesh, drawing on primary survey data from 420 respondents and a comprehensive review of global and Indian literature. The findings converge on a clear and actionable conclusion: the preference for branded OTC products among a majority of consumers in the study region is not immutable but is shaped by information deficits, pharmacist influence dynamics, price sensitivity, and socio-demographic variables that are all amenable to policy intervention. The study establishes that while branded OTC medicines retain a significant preference advantage rooted in trust and familiarity, generic medicines are gaining traction, particularly among educated, urban, and economically independent consumers. The districts of coastal Andhra Pradesh are at a transitional juncture—equipped with rising educational levels, improving pharmacy infrastructure, and increasing government initiatives like Jan Aushadhi Kendras and PMBJP schemes—that positions the region favourably for accelerated generic OTC adoption over the next decade. Price remains the most powerful lever for consumer choice modification, and pharmacists are the most strategically positioned healthcare agents to drive behavioural change at the point of sale. The rejection of all three null hypotheses in this study underscores the quantifiable, statistically significant role of demographics, price, and professional guidance in shaping OTC consumer outcomes. These are not soft or qualitative observations but measurable relationships that pharmaceutical policymakers, company marketing teams, and pharmacy training institutions can build concrete programmes around. For the OTC pharmaceutical market to realise its full potential as an instrument of accessible, equitable healthcare in Andhra Pradesh, a coordinated three-pronged strategy is required: first, sustained consumer awareness campaigns in Telugu language through regional media emphasising the regulatory equivalence of generic and branded medicines; second, pharmacist capacity-building and incentive restructuring to promote active generic counselling; and third, continued expansion of Jan Aushadhi and PMBJP generic medicine outlets across the rural and semi-urban belts of East Godavari, West Godavari, and Visakhapatnam. The convergence of rising health awareness, supportive policy environment, and demonstrated consumer price sensitivity makes the present an opportune moment for decisive action. Future research should undertake longitudinal tracking of consumer preference shifts in the study region, particularly in response to government generic promotion schemes and post-COVID-19 healthcare behavioural changes. Incorporating objective measures of medication adherence and health outcomes alongside attitudinal data would further strengthen the evidence base for policy formulation in the OTC pharmaceutical domain.  

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