Plans have been announced in the UK to focus more on generic drugs in the years ahead, a move aimed at reducing the cost of treating the population. As more and more people use up their allocations of branded drug treatments, generic equivalents are becoming more and more a feature of the pharmaceutical industry. They offer significant cost advantages and, on this basis, are being promoted around the world.

Generic Drug Prescriptions

Here in the UK, generic drug treatments have already become popular, but the government thinks that their use could be expanded still. Currently, generic drugs represent 83 per cent of all prescription issues, but officials think a ceiling of 88 per cent is attainable, given that five per cent of branded drugs prescribed already have a generic equivalent out there. Even if only 50 per cent of branded drugs became generic drugs in prescription terms, the cost savings would be significant: £20m per year, according to officials. The National Health Service's present annual branded drugs bill runs to approximately £9bn.

"Where clinically appropriate, it is only sensible to allow more expensive branded products to be substituted with the same generic medicines which are just as effective as the branded version", Mike O'Brien - British Minister of State for Health Services - said on January 5th 2010. "Introducing generic medicine substitution will deliver value for money and savings to the NHS", he added.

Generic Prescribing

Two main options are now being considered, through which pharmacists would have the ability to undertake generic prescribing in favour of branded drug prescribing, although doctors would have the right to insist on branded products if circumstances demanded. The two options involve allowing either an outright exchange of generic drugs for branded drugs, accompanied by a specific list of case exemptions, or a fixed scheme of generic/branded swaps, rather than a change across the board.

According to the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, patient safety issues mean that there are some drugs that still need to be delivered in branded form, like certain vaccines.