The CCAA propose that generic medicines be differentiated in price compared to off-patent brands. This is reflected in the Congress of Deputies’ report ‘Autonomous Forum: promotion of strategies for the promotion of generic medicines in the SNS’, which the Spanish Association of Generic Medicines (AESEG) presented this Monday in the Congress of Deputies.
Specifically, he is in favor of promote progeneric regulations that establish differences in price or dispensing conditions between the generic drug and its brand counterpart with a patent terminated during a period of time.
At this point, the president of the organization, Mar Fábregas, has regretted the “lack of support measures”, since “since 2015, generic market share remains stagnantin part due to the absence of policies that differentiate them from off-patent brands.” This is one of the eleven specific proposals included in the document, which has been prepared with the consensus of those responsible for pharmaceutical policy of the 17 autonomous communities.
“Generic medicines are essential for the sustainability of the health system, equity in access to treatments and the competitiveness of our pharmaceutical industry. This report not only identifies the challenges of the sector, but also provides concrete solutions to guarantee its future,” he said. declared Fabregas.
Among other measures, experts consider that it is necessary to increase the prices of generics with very low prices to address the increase in manufacturing costs, starting with medicines identified as critical, with low volume and with few suppliers on the market.
“We are interested in having a powerful industry, not only to supply the state marketbut also the European market, which is so in need. This, in fact, has to have different prices than those in other markets,” explained the general director of Pharmacy of the Department of Health of the Basque Government, Iñaki Betolaza. Thus, the document also proposes delaying the formation of a homogeneous group for one year. when a new generic enters the market, allowing it to differentiate itself in price from the brand name drug during that first year.
Another of the proposals goes through establish tools that allow the Administration confront reckless price drops that put supply and market stability at risk. In addition to recognizing the sector as strategic, encouraging national production to reduce foreign dependence.
Prices too low
The AESEG has assured that, since its introduction in Spain in 1997, Generic medicines have generated annual savings of 1,000 million euros for the National Health SystemHowever, they highlight that the sector faces “important challenges.”
Among them, increasing costs, since they indicate that they have increased by 20 percent “due to the increase in the cost of raw materials, energy and transportation.” In addition, they claim that the prices are too low. “The average price of generic medicines in Spain is only 3.5 euros and 50 percent of these products are sold for less than 1.60 euros“, they point out from the Association.
Finally, the general director of the Common Portfolio of SNS Services and Pharmacy of the Ministry of Health, César Hernández, has highlighted that “Having generics is strategic for health systems”which is why he has assured that “they must take care of themselves.”
In this sense, Hernández has indicated that “the business model must be guaranteed”, while announcing that “It won’t be long before the Law on Guarantees and Rational Use of Medicines “is in circulation” and “everyone can see it”. “It will include aspects that will try to improve drug purchasing procedures to make them more efficient and not create excessive bureaucracy,” he concluded.
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