Good-bye Viagra, welcome sildenafil

SPAIN (Agencies) The Spanish health service wants to save some €2,000 million by making doctors supply generic medication instead of brands. Thus, brands in Spain such as Losec, for instance, is to become omeprazole (omeprazol in Spanish), Clamoxyl will be amoxicillin (amoxilina) and Viagra, sildenafil (sildenafilo). The Minister for Health, Leire Pajín said after a meeting with the heads of all the regional health authorities, that she hoped "the savings will be used to reduce costs and pay providers." Several of these last have lately been complaining that they are owed vast sums from some authorities and wouldn't be able to continue supplying them - which may have accelerated the need for this no-brands measure, although it is far from new. Other measures in the pharmaceutical area are aimed at saving €2,400 million.>>>IF YOU FIND THIS ARTICLE INTERESTING, USEFUL OR ENTERTAINING, PLEASE CONSIDER THE WORK, EFFORT AND COST IT TAKES TO BRING IT TO YOU. WE WOULD APPRECIATE A DONATION TO CONTINUE A FREE SERVICE.

The measure itself, as we said, is not new. The novelty is that doctors will now be obliged to carry it out. There is likely to be some reticence among physicians, however, but the law does stipulate exceptions that the doctor must justify.

As an example, these could include an allergy to one or more of the medication's ingredients, which might be used as an excipient (chemical substances other than the active ingredient that do not cure but are used, say, to compact it if it's a pill, or give it a particular colour or a more agreeable taste). Another exception could be the case of a patient with difficulty in following a course of medication and to whom a continuous change in packaging (each company has its own design, which serves as an identifier to many patients, specially those with reading difficulties) that causes even more confusion.

 

It is as well to remember, therefore, that a prescription for an active ingredient is not just a simple change of name. When your doctor doesn't prescribe a specific brand, but rather the active ingredient, your pharmacist is obliged by law to choose among all products on the market, one that is exactly the same in terms of presentation and composition. And it must be the cheapest available.

Some regional health authorities, such as Andalucía, have been urging prescriptions by active ingredient and have achieved an 80% of all prescriptions in that direction. Others, though are nowhere near that mark, says the Minister, who adds that the national average is closer to half that.

Included in the package of laws is a price reference system whereby the Health Authority accepts to pay up to a certain amount for an equivalent generic product. Until now, the HA could choose among three but will now have to pay only for the cheapest. This measure is seen as one that discourages price increases among pharmaceutical companies. If a company wants a product to be subsidised -and therefore prescribed- it must meet minimum price requirements, without exceptions.

A reduction of 15% in the price of medications over 10 years in existence is expected, too, for those who have no generic equivalent. This represents another €400 million in savings, according to Ministry calculations.

As might be expected, the pharmaceutical industry is not pleased by the new law, and will be coming up with their complaints later today. In general, the sections most impacted are laboratories/pharmaceutical companies (64%), pharmacies (27%) and distribution companies (5%). However, exceptions will be made for rural pharmacies in places with a population below 1,500; they will receive 'corrective indicators' as compensation, allowing them to earn a little more on each product.