L'AQUILA – "Regarding the problem of prescribing the active ingredient in drug prescriptions and the amendment that modifies it presented in the Senate these days, we would like to point out that there are two aspects of the question that deserve necessary attention".
This is stated by the mayor of L'Aquila, Massimo Cialente, and the parliamentarian of the Democratic Party John Lolli.
"First of all, there is the aspect linked to savings on Healthcare: it must be clear that these savings do not concern Public Expenditure or the National Health System which since 2001 has reimbursed only the drug at the lowest price. Any difference for the branded drug, in fact, is voluntarily paid by the citizens".
"Savings therefore concern citizens and, even if these are extremely modest figures, it is right to take them into account. Then there is the other aspect of the problem, namely the fact that "generic drugs" are all produced in countries different from Italy while, in our country, there is a pharmaceutical industrial system where more than 150 companies operate and which employs 65,000 people".
"We, in particular, know it well since there are three companies in L'Aquila that represent the best part of our industry.
The introduction of the obligation for the doctor to indicate the active ingredient in the prescription immediately produced a very serious effect on Italian industrial production. It is worth remembering that we are talking about multinationals that already have plants in other European and non-European countries and which, faced with the drop in turnover, will move production outside Italy with very heavy social and economic costs for us".
"It is necessary to find a reasonable mediation point that takes both aspects into account, indicating a suitable period of time within which to obtain all possible advantages for citizens and allow Italian industry to organize itself for this deadline".
