Generic medicines
Factors Affecting Physician’s Behavior to Prescribe Generic Medicines in Pharmaceutical sector in egypt
By
Mohamed Helal Al-Siufy
Supervised by
Dr. Ramy William
This paper was submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
(MBA)
At
Victoria School of Management
Switzerland
March 2014
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 OVERVIEW
Researchers argue that generics became widely prescribed by physicians especially since 1990s when price & economic factors became the main focus of both governments and patients as well. Generic drugs sales reported Bn 13.5 LE contributing 45% of total pharmaceutical market in Egypt (IMS Sales YTD 12/2014) while 5 out of top 10 companies in Egypt are local companies (generic-producing firms) reported Bn 4.8 LE (IMS Sales YTD 12/2014). Government & insurance companies exerts pressure on physicians to switch from brand-name to generic drugs especially for common, well-established drugs used in the treatment of common, long standing diseases (eg: common cold, dyslipidemia…etc) due to economic factor in order to save money to enable them to fund new high-tech drugs treating difficult, life-threatening diseases (eg: cancer, AIDS…..etc). US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) implement strict guidelines for license of generic drugs. One of these guideline is that generics must be at least 90% bioequivalent (identical) to brand-name drugs with regards to efficacy & safety (Epilepsia, 49(Suppl. 9):56–62, 2008). Use of generics instead of brand-name drugs in certain diseases (eg: epilepsy) still debatable as per (Frederick Andermann et al. 2007). Another research indicated that patient’s attitude towards generics is improving by time (Mohamed A.A. Hassali 2009). Many factors are contributed in selecting generics over brand-name drugs including price, quality of generics and marketing efforts by pharmaceutical firms as per (Eric Campbell 2013).
Researcher claim
By
Mohamed Helal Al-Siufy
Supervised by
Dr. Ramy William
This paper was submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
(MBA)
At
Victoria School of Management
Switzerland
March 2014
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 OVERVIEW
Researchers argue that generics became widely prescribed by physicians especially since 1990s when price & economic factors became the main focus of both governments and patients as well. Generic drugs sales reported Bn 13.5 LE contributing 45% of total pharmaceutical market in Egypt (IMS Sales YTD 12/2014) while 5 out of top 10 companies in Egypt are local companies (generic-producing firms) reported Bn 4.8 LE (IMS Sales YTD 12/2014). Government & insurance companies exerts pressure on physicians to switch from brand-name to generic drugs especially for common, well-established drugs used in the treatment of common, long standing diseases (eg: common cold, dyslipidemia…etc) due to economic factor in order to save money to enable them to fund new high-tech drugs treating difficult, life-threatening diseases (eg: cancer, AIDS…..etc). US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) implement strict guidelines for license of generic drugs. One of these guideline is that generics must be at least 90% bioequivalent (identical) to brand-name drugs with regards to efficacy & safety (Epilepsia, 49(Suppl. 9):56–62, 2008). Use of generics instead of brand-name drugs in certain diseases (eg: epilepsy) still debatable as per (Frederick Andermann et al. 2007). Another research indicated that patient’s attitude towards generics is improving by time (Mohamed A.A. Hassali 2009). Many factors are contributed in selecting generics over brand-name drugs including price, quality of generics and marketing efforts by pharmaceutical firms as per (Eric Campbell 2013).
Researcher claim
References: 1- IMS Sales YTD 12/2014 2- Eric Campbell. 1/3 of Docs Often Prescribe Brand-Name Drugs Over Generics: Study. Jan. 7, 2013, JAMA Internal Medicine, online 3- Market Feedback. Interview with Dr.A.Okasha (Professor of Psychiatry, former head of world psychiatry society) 4- Are Brand-Name and Generic Drugs Really the Same? The Prescriber Perspective. Laurie Scudder, DNP, NP, September 18, 2012. www.medscape.com 5- Mohamed A.A. Hassali. Consumers’ views on generic medicines: a review of the literature. International Journal of Pharmacy Practice 2009; 17: 79–88 6- Frederick Andermann. Compulsory Generic Switching of Antiepileptic Drugs: High Switchback Rates to Branded Compounds Compared with Other Drug Classes. Epilepsia, 48(3):464–469, 2007 7- Frederick Andermann. Compulsory Generic Switching of Antiepileptic Drugs: High Switchback Rates to Branded Compounds Compared with Other Drug Classes. Epilepsia, 48(3):464–469, 2007 8- Harold Helderman . Generic Substitution for Immunosuppressive Drugs. Dialysis & Transplantation January 2011 9- Barry E. Gidal and yTorbjo¨rn Tomson. Debate: Substitution of generic drugs in epilepsy: Is there cause for concern? Epilepsia, 49(Suppl. 9):56–62, 2008