14 October 2010

PSNC welcomes generic substitution decision

The PSNC has welcomed the Department of Health’s decision not to progress any further with the implementation of generic substation in primary care following a public consultation into the issue.

Instead the Department will be looking at further ways to support the use of generic medicines, recognising that there are still some savings that can potentially be delivered in this area.

Responding to the announcement, PSNC Chief Executive Sue Sharpe said, "PSNC welcomes the news that the Department will not be progressing the implementation of generic substitution. Whilst we fully support the principle that products should be prescribed generically unless there is a clinical reason to prescribe a particular brand, we believed that the costs of implementing the Department's proposal would have outweighed the benefits to be gained. This argument formed the basis of PSNC's response to the Consultation.

"We believe that much more needs to be done on a local level to prevent prescribing practices that are not in the interests of the wider Health Service. One such practice, the prescription of branded generics, is currently causing significant problems for contractors in many parts of the country. Whilst PCTs may save small sums in the short term by encouraging this thoroughly counterproductive practice, its ultimate effect is to frustrate pharmacies' effective commercial activity and work against the delivery of long-term cost-savings for the NHS. PSNC is completely against this practice, and is working with the Department of Health to develop effective deterrents".