Sector welcomes DH decision to scrap generics plans
Pharmacy bodies have backed the Department of Health’s (DH) decision to ditch its plans to implement generic substitution.
The plans were laid out in detail in January 2010, but yesterday the department decided it would not be going ahead with them.
PSNC said it was pleased with the news as the cost of implementing the plans would have outweighed the benefits.
The NPA said the department appeared to have taken into account warnings about patient safety, inter-professional relationships and workload.
The C+D Senate concluded earlier in 2010 that generic substitution was not the most effective way for pharmacy to help reduce NHS costs.
PSNC chief executive Sue Sharpe said: “We believe much more needs to be done on a local level to prevent prescribing practices that are not in the interests of the wider health service."
Of one such practice, the prescription of branded generics, she said: “While PCTs may save small sums in the short term by encouraging this thoroughly counterproductive practice, its ultimate effect is to frustrate pharmacies’ effective commercial activity and work against the delivery of long-term cost-savings for the NHS.”
The BGMA, which represents generic manufacturers in the UK, also welcomed the DH decision and pointed out that generic competition already saves the NHS £8.6 billion a year.
Director Warwick Smith added: “We share their frustration at the remaining small amount of brand prescribing when there is no clinical reason not to use the equivalent but much more cost effective generic."
“This simply wastes NHS money and prevents it being used for other areas of patient care,” he added.
Generic manufacturer Teva said it was pleased the DH had indicated that it would look at further ways to support the use of generic medicines.
The ABPI also welcomed the decision.
