Healthy Skepticism Library item: 11464

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: news

Hall L.
Generics sweeten price of medicine
Sydney Morning Herald 2007 Sep 16
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/generics-sweeten-price-of-medicine-generics-sweeten-price-ofmedicine/2007/09/15/1189277055707.html

Full text:

A CAMPAIGN encouraging people to switch to generic prescription medicines to save themselves – and the Government – money will hit televisions tonight.

Consumers pay about $3 more per script for branded medications compared with their generic equivalents for common conditions such as cholesterol, hypertension and migraine.

The federally funded National Prescribing Service (NPS) will tell people that generic medicines are as safe and effective as the original and urges them to ask their doctor or pharmacist about them.

Chairwoman of the NPS Quality Use of Medicines working group Diane Walsh said as more drugs come off-patent, patients would be offered more generic equivalents.

But an NPS survey found that, while 91percent of people were aware of generics, one-third did not take them because their doctors did not recommend them.

Chairman of the Australian Medical Association therapeutics committee Associate Professor John Gullotta said: “The AMA supports the campaign and encourages doctors to discuss generic medicines options with their patients.”

Australians paid $51.2million in brand premiums on about 28million scripts, at an average of $1.83 per script last financial year, data from the Department of Health and Ageing shows.

Generic equivalents contain the same active ingredient and become available when a drug, developed and sold by a pharmaceutical company, comes off-patent, usually after 10 to 20 years.

Generic Medicines Industry Association executive director Di Ford said many doctors – either intentionally or inadvertently – prescribe the drug by brand name, rather than the medical name.

■ HYPERTENSION
Original brand: Norvasc $36.38
Generic brands: Amlodipine, Sandoz, Perivasc or Amlo $30.70

■ DEPRESSION
Original brand: Lexapro $33.90
Generic brand: Esipram $30.70

■ OSTEOPOROSIS
Original brand: Fosamax $31.53
Generic brand: Alendro $30.70

Source: The Sun-Herald