OBJECTIVE To assess the magnitude of price difference between generic and innovator medicines and to evaluate the effect of the price competition between them. METHODS From January 2000 to June 2004, 135 generic medicines and their respective innovator medicines were followed up for a period of up to four years. Prices were extracted from pharmaceutical market specific publications and record...

OBJECTIVE Generic medicines provide a safe and economical medical treatment and are used routinely throughout the world. However, a significant proportion of individuals view generic medicines as less safe, less effective and of lower quality compared with their equivalent branded medicines. This study aimed to investigate the effect of an educational intervention on improving perceptions and p...

GENERAL OBJECTIVE To evaluate the understanding and perceptions of generic medicines among final-year Doctor of Pharmacy students in Karachi, Pakistan. METHODS A 23-item survey instrument that included a question on the bioequivalence limits and Likert-type scale questions regarding the understanding and perceptions of generic medicines among the students was executed. Cronbach's alpha was fo...

This observational study investigates the private sector, retail pharmaceutical market of 19 low and middle income countries (LMICs) in Latin America, Asia and the Middle East/South Africa analyzing the relationships between volume market share of generic and originator medicines over a time series from 2001 to 2011. Over 5000 individual pharmaceutical substances were divided into generic (unbr...

Policymakers in developing countries are challenged to increase the availability and affordability of essential medicines. To improve access to medicines, the Government of India recently opened Generic Drug Stores in a few public facilities. These stores sell generic medicines manufactured by the public sector manufacturers. The prices are lower than market price. We examine the premise of the...

OBJECTIVE This paper aims to provide an overview of the added societal value of generic medicines beyond their cost-saving potential through reduced prices. In addition, an observational case study will document the impact of generic entry on access to pharmacotherapy in The Netherlands and an illustrative exercise was carried out to highlight the budget impact of generic entry. METHODS A nar...

Generic medicines are a key strategy used by governments and third-party payers to contain medicines costs and improve the access to essential medicines. This strategy represents an important opportunity provided by the global intellectual property regimes to discover and develop copies of original products marketed by innovator companies once the patent protection term is over. While there is ...