To get Italians familiar with generics, from Monday 600,000 information brochures will be distributed in approximately 1,400 municipal pharmacies throughout Italy. The campaign, presented yesterday in Rome, is promoted by Assofarm, which brings together public pharmacies. Although non-branded medicines have 'grown' in recent years, citizens still know little about them or, in any case, remain wary.
“According to a recent survey – says Francesco Schito, vice president of Assofarm – the 35% of the population does not know generics at all. In this way all the advantages that can derive from the use of these drugs are nullified”. Informing and clarifying citizens' doubts, explains the president of Assofarm Venanzio Gizzi, is the objective of the brochure 'The generic or equivalent drug' which will be distributed in municipal pharmacies. Created by the inter-municipal pharmaceutical consortium of Salerno, in collaboration with the Faculty of Pharmacy of the city university, it explains clearly, and with cartoons, what generics are. Emphasizing first of all that these drugs are "identical, effective and safe" as the corresponding branded products, but have the advantage of costing from 20% to 40% less.
Savings could be enhanced by streamlining the procedures and times for new generics to enter the market: “8.4 months pass from the expiry of the patent – explains Roberto Teruzzi, president of Assogenerici – to the placing on the market of the generic. This resulted in a lack of savings of 129 million euros for the NHS". Italy is still behind in Europe for the consumption of generics. According to the brochure, only 10% on the market is covered by these drugs. Much higher percentages show, on the other hand, how much the rest of the Old Continent likes non-branded medicines. In the UK more than 50% of prescriptions is non-branded, in Germany almost 40%. In France, the generics market recorded an average annual growth of 45% from '99 to 2001.
