Others
First posted: 28/11/2013
First posted: 14 November 2013
Poland is already a mature (well-established) market* in the use of generic medicines.
The market share of generic medicines by volume in 2010 was 85%, representing 63% in value [1]. However, generics presence could still be improved, and the following are some ideas that could help to increase the generics market share in Poland:
Recommendations
- Reduce the delays in patient access to generic medicines [2].
- Introduce legislation to eliminate the possibility of originator drug manufacturers interfering in the registration process for generic drugs [3].
- Develop a competitive and sustainable market; move from competition by discount to competition by price by imposing fixed margins [4].
- Raise reference prices as a temporary measure to boost market entry for medicine classes with few generic medicines [4].
- Teach students at medical school to prescribe by International Nonproprietary Name (INN) and encourage physicians to do so [5].
- Increase physician incentives to prescribe generic medicines, such as budgetary incentives, and make it easier through such means as electronic prescribing systems, medicine databases, feedback on prescribing data, prescribing guidelines, formularies, and substitution lists [5].
- Remove the financial disincentive for pharmacists to dispense generic medicines by increasing percentage remuneration for lower-priced medicines and reducing percentage remuneration for higher-priced medicines [4, 5].
- Raise patient awareness of generic medicines by launching information campaigns [4].
- Stimulate demand for generic medicines by reducing co-payment on generic medicines [4].
* A mature generic market is one where generics have been on the market for more than 10 years and where the market share of generics exceeds 40% [6].
References
1. Neil Goodman. Personal communication. 11 March 2011.
2. Bongers F, Carradinha H. European Generic medicines Association Health Economics Committee. How to Increase Patient Access to Generic Medicines in European Healthcare Systems. June 2009.
3. Polski Związek Pracodowców Przemysłu Farmaceutycznego. [News: The delay means loss. Loss for the National Health Fund and patients due to delay in the introduction of generic drugs on the reimbursement list]. Aktualności: Opóźnienie znaczy strata. Straty NFZ i pacjentów z tytułu opóźnień wprowadzania leków generycznych na listy refundacyjne [homepage on the Internet]. 2009 [cited 2013 Nov 28]. Polish. Available from: 212.85.101.126/news.php?id=47
4. Simoens S. Developing competitive and sustainable Polish generic medicines market. Croat Med J. 2009;50(5):440-8.
5. Simoens S, De Coster S. Sustaining Generic Medicines Markets in Europe. April 2006. [monograph on the Internet]. Leuven, Belgium: Katholieke Universiteit Leuven; 2006 [cited 2013 Nov 28]. Available from: http://212.85.101.126/images/publikacje/7_pl.pdf
6. Simoens S. International comparison of generic medicine prices. Curr Med Res Opin. 2007;23(11):2647-54.
