Teva UK Limited welcomes DH generic substitution consultation
6th January 2010
Teva UK Limited has today welcomed the Department of Health’s (DH) preferred proposal on generic substitution, which follows the announcement of a three-month consultation.
The proposal favoured by DH would allow dispensers to switch a prescription from a named branded medicine to a cheaper generic equivalent for a selected list of medicines, with an opt-out endorsement.
Says Richard Daniell, Commercial Operations Officer at Teva: “Teva wholeheartedly supports DH’s preferred proposal. Generic medicines maintain the same standards of quality, safety and efficacy as the originator brands at an average of 20% of the cost. The UK generics industry already saves the NHS £8.6 billion each year1, and this is the ideal opportunity to save millions – or even billions − more whilst providing proven and effective healthcare for millions of patients across the UK.”
The vast majority of generic medicines are interchangeable with their branded equivalents. Adds Richard: “The DH proposal takes into account the small number of drugs which should not be changed once the patient is initiated – from the brand to the generic or vice-versa. Teva’s position is that patient safety always comes first, and the proposals reflect that the vast majority of drugs can be substituted and save the NHS even more each year without compromising patient safety.”
DH will now start the three-month consultation into the proposals. Richard concludes, “The move to generic substitution represents true value for money for the tax payer at a time when the NHS needs to be at its most efficient.”
1) BGMA Press Release 05/01/2010
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