Generics contribution to availability of essential medicines

The contribution of generics to EMLs, and therefore to improving the availability of essential medicines, was demonstrated in a study into the availability of essential medicines around the globe carried out by Bazargani and co-authors [1].

The authors used the WHO/Health Action International database of surveys of medicine prices, availability, affordability and price components in order to collect data on the availability of essential medicines (i.e. those included on the national EML) in low- and middle-income countries compared to non-essential medicines, i.e. those not included on the national EML.

A total of 28 surveys corresponding to 1,130 medicines (886 essential medicines) and 2,290 facilities were analysed. Considering both brand-name and generic drugs, the median availability of essential medicines for any product type was 61.5% while the availability of non-essential medicines was 27.3%. Generics contributed the majority of the available drugs; the median availability of generic essential medicines was 53.3% versus 19.2% for non-essential generics.

In the public sector the overall median availability of essential and non-essential medicines was 40.0% and 6.6%, respectively, with generics making up 35.0% and 5.0% of this total. In the private sector there was higher availability of essential medicines, with a median of 78.1% (66.7% generics) and 57.1% (47.4% generics) for essential and non-essential medicines, respectively.

The authors concluded that essential medicines were more available than non-essential medicines, with a substantial contribution being made by generic medicines. However, the availability of essential medicines is still far from ideal, according to Bazargani and co-authors, and more needs to be done to ensure patients gain access to essential medicines, especially in the public sector.

Conflict of interest
The authors of the research paper [1] declared that there were no conflicts of interest.

Editor’s comment
Readers interested to learn more about the rational use of medicines are invited to view the following manuscripts published in GaBI Journal:

National and regional activities by sickness funds in Austria to encourage the rational use of medicines

How do regional sickness funds encourage more rational use of medicines, including the increase of generic uptake? A case study from Austria

If you are interested in contributing a research paper in a similar area to GaBI Journal, please send us your submission here.

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Reference

1.   Bazargani YT, Ewen M, de Boer A, Leufkens HG, Mantel-Teeuwisse AK. Essential medicines are more available than other medicines around the globe. PLoS One. 2014 Feb 12;9(2):e87576. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0087576. eCollection 2014.