Demand-side policies to encourage the use of generic medicines: an overview.

Pieter Dylst, Arnold Vulto, Steven Simoens

Department of Pharmaceutical & Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, O&N 2, PO Box 521, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. pieter.dylst@pharm.kuleuven.be

Expert review of pharmacoeconomics & outcomes research 2013 Feb

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Demand-side policies to encourage the use of generic medicines are important to increase their use. A plethora of different demand-side policies has already been initiated by European governments, thereby targeting physicians, pharmacists and patients. This review aims to give an overview of the different demand-side policies which governments have at their disposal and to evaluate their impact on the use of generic medicines. Positive knowledge and perceptions of physicians, pharmacists and patients of generic medicines are necessary prerequisites to increase the use of generic medicines and governments should initiate policies to achieve this. These policies should be combined with policies to increase their financial responsibility to the healthcare system and policies to facilitate the prescribing of generic medicines.

Citation

Pieter Dylst, Arnold Vulto, Steven Simoens. Demand-side policies to encourage the use of generic medicines: an overview. Expert review of pharmacoeconomics & outcomes research. 2013 Feb;13(1):59-72