Buy generics only from legit stores–DOH

GENERIC drugs are just as effective as their branded counterparts.

But these unbranded medicines must be purchased from accredited pharmacies or drugstores, the Department of Health (DOH) reminded Filipino consumers in an advisory posted on its social media sites.

Generic drugs are those not covered by patent protection and are labeled only by their international nonproprietary or generic name.

“Purchase generic drugs only from drugstores that are accredited or registered by the Food and Drug Administration to ensure their quality, efficacy and safety,” said the DOH on its Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Cheaper alternatives

It said generic drugs were cheaper alternatives to branded medicines and were as highly effective in treating ailments as they contain the same “active ingredient” found in expensive and branded drugs.

The DOH has been promoting Republic Act No. 6675, or the Generics Act of 1988, as part of its efforts to attain universal healthcare. The generics law, which requires doctors to prescribe generic drugs with an option to include the branded counterpart, aims to make access to medicines easier for Filipinos.

In 2013, the DOH reported that 25 years after the enactment of the generics law, unbranded medicines had gained wider acceptance in the country, with five to six out of 10 Filipinos opting to buy generic drugs.

The health agency had also said that generic drugs had become cheaper by more than 50 percent compared to branded counterparts and the market share of generic medicine had expanded to 60 percent since the passage of the generics law.