Valuing the Drug Information Provided for Generics in Setting the Price of Generic Drugs in Japan
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Valuing the Drug Information Provided for Generics in Setting the Price of Generic Drugs in Japan
Hisashi liiima, BS Research Associate, Social and Administrative Pharmacy Science, College of Pharmacy, Nihon University, Chiba, Japan, and Chief Researcher, Drug Information Center, Chiba Pharmaceutical Association, Chiba, Japan
The recent tightening of financial resources for medical services in Japan sets the stage for continued expansion of the use of generic drugs. Howevel: safety and efficacy as well as cost, must be taken into account in any evaluation of a generic drug. In this study, the drug information provided for therapeutically-equivalent drugs was compared to that for the brand-name product as a means of evaluating the generic versions of the drug. Drug information was evaluated by means of a quantitative analysis of information included in package inserts and "interviewforms" (product information sheets). Information per price unit was also calculated. Finally, the ratio of information on generic drugs to information on brand-name drugs (Qua) was calculated. This method was chosen because although the price of pharmaceuticals is regulated in Japan, some
Teruyo Kurosaki, BS Graduate Student, Social and Administrative Pharmacy Science, College of Pharmacy, Nihon University, Chiba, Japan Miwako Kamei, PhD Assistant Professor, Social and Administrative Pharmacy Science, College of Pharmacy, Nihon University. Chiba, Japan Torhimaso Koshimizu, PhD Director, Department of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy, Juntendo Urayasu Hospital, Chiba. Japan Makoto Sbiragomi, PhD Professor, Social and AdministrativePharmacy Science, College of Pharmacy, Nihon University, Chiba. Japan
Key Words Generic drugs; Drug information; Price; Pharmaceutical companies Correspondence Address Hisashi Iijirna. BS. Research Associate. Social and Administrative Pharmacy Science. College ofPharmacy, Nihon Universiy, 7-7- I Narashinodai, Funabashishi. Chiba 274-8555, Japan (e-mail: h-iijima@ c-yaku.or.jp) .
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INTRODUCTION In Japan, all citizens are covered by some type of public health insurance, and medical fees and the price of prescription drugs are determined by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. Medical fees are generally revised every two years. The fee base adopted in the 2002 revision encouraged the use of generic drugs. Specifically, extra remuneration is generated if a doctor prescribes a generic drug or if a pharmacist dispenses and provides information for a prescribed generic drug. The recent tightening of financial resources for medical services worldwide sets the stage for continued expansion of the use of generic drugs. However, safety and efficacy, as well as price, must be taken into account in any evaluation of a generic drug. Because availability of adequate pertinent drug information plays a crucial role in the preI*
brand pharmaceutical manufacturers hdd that the prices of drugs are a reflection of the quantity of information provided. We sought, therefore, to compare quantity of information per unit pr
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