Thursday, May 06, 2010

On partial treatment

In the wake of Ontario's move to eliminate "professional allowances" paid to pharmacies by drug manufacturers, the Globe and Mail reports on possible interprovincial cooperation to reduce the cost of generic drugs across the country. And it's certainly a plus if cooperative efforts can make needed medications more affordable for consumers and provinces alike.

But at last notice, the cost of generic drugs made for less than a quarter of all Canadian drug expenses - and of course the market for generics is based entirely on their being a cheaper alternative once a branded drug loses its patent protection. So is there any particular reason why the talk about cost reduction seems to be aimed solely at generic drugs?

No comments:

Post a Comment