Many doctors still call prescriptions by their original brand name, even after generic versions of the drug are marketed.
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The ACP reviewed existing evidence and found that for Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes, for example, up to 45 percent of prescriptions are for brand-name drugs when identical generics are available.
Whenever possible, doctors should prescribe generic drugs for their patients, the American College of Physicians suggests.
Medication is expensive, and who wouldn’t spend 10 cents on the dollar for your prescription drugs if given the chance? The study revealed that Medicare could save $1.4 billion for diabetes alone by replacing brand-name drugs with generic versions.
ACP President Wayne J. Riley, MD, MPH, MBA, MACP said that while it is true that the use of generic medicines is increasing, it is still an undeniable fact that most doctors choose to prescribe branded medicines even when a cheaper yet equally effective generic alternatives are available.
She also pointed out that generic drugs are highly important simply because they serve as High Value Care way. Why?
They believe the underuse of generic drugs is likely fueled by patient concerns about their safety and efficacy, with many believing that because they are cheaper, they will be less effective. And, the ACP news release said that generic drugs often look different from brand-name drugs, which may be confusing to patients. An increase in these costs has been linked to lower rates of long-term medication adherence, the researchers explained. Brand name drug prescriptions are at least twice as likely as those for generic drugs to never be picked up again after getting filled, they explained.
Since giving free samples of brand-name drugs to doctors increases use of these medications, researchers suggested that offering doctors free generic samples could have the same effect.
Check the video below to understand why branded medicines are more expensive than the generic drugs.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has more about generic drugs.
Continuing physician education programs could keep doctors abreast of available generics, as well as interactive options on electronic health records, he said.
“A large scale public awareness campaign is what’s needed”, added Qaseem.
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“This information about generics is especially timely now, given all we’ve seen in the a year ago or two demonstrating that brand-name companies can charge whatever they please for their products, even if the price is astronomical”, Avorn said.
