Spanish consumption of generic medicines reached 22% by volume in 2008
Consumption of generic medicines has nearly doubled over the past five years from 12% of total medicine units financed by the government in 2004 to almost 22% last year, the Spanish health ministry has announced.
Consumption of generic medicines has nearly doubled over the past five years from 12% of total medicine units financed by the government in 2004 to almost 22% last year, the Spanish health ministry has announced.
"In 2008 more than 190m units of generics were consumed (22% of billed medicines) whose value was 9% of the national health service's total prescription outlay," the ministry said in a statement.
According to the ministry's figures, of Spain's 17 regions Andalucia had the highest percentage of generic consumption by units at 30%, following by Madrid at 28% and the Balearic Islands at 27%.
Galicia, Murcia and the Canary Islands had the lowest percentages at 10%, 12% and 13%, respectively.
By value, the Spanish health ministry spent Euro 1.1 bn on generics in 2008, or 9% of its total outlay on prescription medicines. In 2004, the figures were €85.5m and 6.5%, respectively.
"Generic medicines play a fundamental role in the financial sustainability of the national health service while maintaining the same quality, safety and efficacy of branded medicines but at a cheaper price," the ministry said.
The ministry noted that 99 generic active ingredients have been approved for government financing since 2004 and that there are now 972 generic presentations on the list of state-financed drugs.
In its bid to cut the government medicines bill, the ministry has been promoting generics among the general population in publicity campaigns and urges doctors to prescribe by generic name instead of by brand.
But the Spanish Generic Medicines Association (AESEG) complains that the government is still not doing enough and that Spain continues to lag far behind many other European countries in overall generics use.
Last month, AESEG released figures compiled by pharma health consultancy IMS which showed that sales of generics in Spain grew by just 2.7% in value in 2008 and for the first time in years sales growth was slower than that of branded medicines.
Asked to comment by APM on the figures released by the health ministry, AESEG general manager Angel Luis Rodriguez said: "Generics use is increasing but we still have a long way to catch up with the northern European countries where generics account for between 35 and 45% of the market."