Troika presses Greece for more generic drugs prescriptions
Generic drugs must reach 60% of prescriptions, says Georgiadis
08 May, 17:36
(ANSA) - ATHENS - Eu's Troika is pressuring Greece to increase the prescription of cheaper, generic medicines, according to the local portal Kathimerini online reported, quoting the Greek Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis. Speaking at a pharmaceutical conference in Athens, Georgiadis pointed out that Greece has to raise the prescription rate of non-brand name drugs from current 20% to around 60% as part of efforts to reduce public spending on medicines to less than 2 billion euros per year. "The measures we have adopted to increase the penetration of generic drugs have failed," said Georgiadis. According to the European Generic Medicines Association, generic drugs account for 50% all medicines dispensed in the European Union, while amounting to only 18% of total pharmaceutical expenditure.
(ANSA).
