UK to consult on automatic generic substitution

01 September 2009

James Mills

The UK department of health is planning to hold a public consultation in the autumn on the automatic substitution of generics for branded drugs at pharmacy level.

Automatic generic substitution was included as a theme in the renegotiation of the pharmaceutical price regulation scheme (PPRS) between the department and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry last year. Automatic substitution was to be introduced in January 2010, subject to consultation.

Norgine is campaigning against automatic substitution and funded a report that draws attention to potential risks ( scripnews.com, July 17th, 2009). An online petition on the UK government's number10.gov.uk website has collected almost 8,700 signatures.

The department of health says: "This a complex issue with many interested stakeholders. We want to make sure we engage with all stakeholders in the best way possible and we therefore intend to formally consult in the autumn on our proposals for implementation."

Source: Scripnews