Abu Dhabi patients encouraged to start using generic drugs

Healthcare facilities in Abu Dhabi will this weekend begin dispensing generic medicines rather than brand-name drugs in a push to provide better value for money.

The Department of Health said patients will have the option to use their prescription to collect generic drugs or pay the difference in price for well-known brands.

Non-brand medicines are just as effective but cost as little as a fifth of the price, according to research by the United States’ Food and Drug Administration.

Among the best examples are anti-inflammatory drugs such as generic ibuprofen, which have the same effect as premium brands such as Nurofen, which often retail for several times the price.

Antihistamines such as Claritin, used to treat allergies, are also much more expensive than generic versions.

“DoH encourages healthcare facilities to start offering more generic medicine options to provide patients with better value for money,” a department circular read.

“Under the new mechanism, DoH has set a reference price for drug categories with equivalent generic substitute, whereas reference prices have not been listed for drugs with no generic substitute.

“Patients who wish to claim medications with higher value than those listed on the reference price list will be required to pay the difference in price.”

Mohammed Al Hajj, director of Health System Financing, said: “We have looked at the successful application of similar generic medicine policies in other countries worldwide.

“We worked alongside our strategic partners in the public and private healthcare sectors in Abu Dhabi to involve them in the development process and gradual application of the mechanism to ... be able to deliver exceptional care services in Abu Dhabi.”

Health insurance professionals in the UAE previously called on regulators to encourage doctors to prescribe more generic drugs.

They said healthcare providers could save Dh2.3 billion by doing so.

In Germany 80 per cent of prescribed drugs are generic, while in the UK 78 per cent of prescribed drugs are generic.