Generics, guarantee of sustainability for the national health system.

-generics are exactly the same criteria of quality, safety and efficacy of medicinal products for brand

-saving generic drugs provide the health care system allows to rationalize expenditure and invest in other areas which benefit the population

– in the countries of our environmentDouble Spanish percentage of implementation of generics, there have been no increases in the confusion caused by changes in branding or packaging

Bilbao, 2011-December in order to explain the various myths and realities about generics that currently exist between the publicthe Dr. Julio Maset, innovation director, Cinfa, delivered on 23 November in Bilbao Bidebarrieta library, the Conference entitled ‘ generic drugs: health issue ’.

The talk, which was framed in the course of the meetings with health cycle, has been free admission. In it, the expert responded, in a participatory manner, to the questions from the audience.

As explained by July Maset generics, once approved by the relevant health authorities (the Spanish Agency of medicines and health products and the European Medicines Agency), offer equal citizens characteristics of quality, safety and efficiency than brand name drugs, but at one lower price ”.

Indeed, el doctor Maset has been highlighted that there is different legislation for generics, but make all medicines, branded or generic, have overcome the same standards of the Spanish medicines agency ”.

With regard to effectiveness, generic medicines have the same composition and quantity of active ingredient. Laboratories must also match time of absorption and elimination of the same, to ensure its bioequivalence, which is a work of development ranging from three to five years for each generic drug. This ensures the same quality, safety and efficacy ”.

Generics in Spain, well below the European average

The expert also explains that in Spain, so far, the implementation of the generic medicinal product on the market is 30%, whereas in the surrounding countries, such as France or Holland, you can reach 50 or 60% of the total. In these countries, there has been no increase in notifications of adverse effects due to confusion between brand name drugs and generic, so that this will happen in Spain is risky and has no scientific basis ”.

Brand name drugs are continually changed to patients, many of them plurimedicados or elderly people, without therefore raised doubts about the possible mistakes ”, adds the director innovation Cinfa.

The national health system savings

The daily elsewhere in our day by day, the revocation of patents has allowed the introduction of new companies in many markets, encouraging competition and generating savings that facilitate access by citizens. In the pharmaceutical industry is the same, providing the patient products with identical quality, safety and efficiency, at a cost much lower, contributing to the sustainability of the health system and espoleando r & d laboratories in their search for new drugs for patients ”, said the expert.

Provide the various health administrations a pharmacological alternative with the same characteristics of quality, safety and efficacy, but at a cost much lower, it is on the one hand, a direct advantage to the patient within the meaning of that can get the same benefit for his health to a minor price. But also benefit you indirectly, allowing savings to the health system posed by lower spending on medicines to free up more funds to meet other relevant health care aspects, such as, for example, the creation of new infrastructure of primary and specialized care, the improvement of diagnostic imaging services and, even the financing of other drugs in brand, for which there is still no generic version, lacking generic Bioequivalent. Therefore constitute a guarantee of the sustainability of the national system of health ”, concludes.

Contrary to what many people think, the introduction of generics is one of the elements that influence the advancement of innovation and development (r & d) in the pharmaceutical industry. In other words, patent no caducasen, the need to investigate new molecules and do incremental research, would much less ”.

Meetings with health is an activity organized jointly by the Academy of medical sciences of Bilbao and the Faculty of medicine and Dentistry of the University of the country Basque/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea. On this occasion, activity was sponsored by the pharmaceutical laboratory Cinfa.