Generic drugs – essential for the sustainability of healthcare systems with numerous strategies to enhance their use

Godman, Brian and Massele, Amos and Fadare, Joseph and Kwon, Hye-Young and Kurdi, Amanj and Kalemeera, Francis and Hussain, Shazhad and Pisana, Alice and Meyer, Johanna C (2021) Generic drugs – essential for the sustainability of healthcare systems with numerous strategies to enhance their use. Pharmaceutical Sciences and Biomedical Analysis Journal, 4 (1). 126.

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Abstract

The increasing use of lower-cost multiple sourced medicines (generics) and biosimilars are essential to attain or retain universal healthcare in the face of continual pressure on available resources. Alongside this, reduce patient co-payments and enhance access to medicines in countries with high co-payments where affordability was an issue. Supply-side measures, including aggressive procurement practices and increased transparency in the manufacture and pricing of generics, can appreciably lower the price of generics. Such measures alongside demand-side measures can enhance savings versus originators as well as increase access to standard medicines. However, there needs to be trust in the generics to maximise savings. The same applies to biosimilars. Multiple demand-side measures can also appreciably enhance the preferential prescribing of multiple sourced medicines versus still patented medicines in a class or related class without compromising care. As a result, enhance utilisation at lower costs. Countries can learn from each other when planning or instigating reforms, and this will grow.

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