Use of generic anti-asthmatic drugs in Morocco

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Use of generic anti-asthmatic drugs in Morocco

Genéricos/Investigación | Posted 20/09/2013 0 Post your comment

Asthma is a serious public health problem in Morocco. However, due to low income and lack of healthcare coverage in the country many of Morocco’s citizens do not have access to anti-asthmatic drugs.

A study of the use of anti-asthmatic drugs in Morocco during the period 1999–2010 found that, although their use had increased slightly, it remains low [1]. There is therefore much scope for increased generics use to facilitate availability of these drugs to the general population.

In Morocco, inhaled glucocorticosteroids are recommended as the first-line treatment for asthma, with beclomethasone making up the majority of this class (89.38%), followed by fluticasone (10.61%) and budesonide (less than 1%).

Between 1999 and 2010, the generic anti-asthmatics market share increased from 1.84 to 2.18 in terms of defined daily dose (DDD) per 1,000 inhabitants per day – a 1.2-fold increase. This compared to overall anti-asthmatics use, which increased from 3.91 to 14.47 DDD/1000 inhabitants/day – a 3.7-fold increase.

In 2010, generic anti-asthmatic drugs accounted for about 37.9% of the anti-asthmatic market; and inhaled glucocorticosteroids ranked first for generics consumption (0.83 DDD/1,000 inhabitants/day), followed by the short-acting inhaled beta-2-mimetic (0.73 DDD/1,000 inhabitants/day).

In recent years, efforts have been made by the Ministry of Health in Morocco to develop a national policy to encourage the manufacture of generic drugs in order to increase access to treatment. However, despite this, the use of generic anti-asthmatic drugs remains limited, with originator products, still under patent, dominating the market.

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Reference

1. Ghanname I, Ahid S, Berrada G, Belaiche A, Hassar M, Cherrah Y. Trends in the use of antiasthmatic medications in Morocco (1999-2010). Springerplus. 2013;2(1):82. Epub 2013 Mar 5.

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