GENERIC MEDICINES. Department of Health (DOH) National Drug Policy Compliance Officer Reyellen M. Magallon speaks on the advantages of using generic medicines in a press conference on Monday, September 10, 10, 2018. (Photo by Perla G. Lena)
ILOILO CITY – The Department of Health (DOH) here emphasized that there is no difference between generic and branded medicines and using the former could even result in patient’s compliance with the prescribed medicines.
“Generics and branded medicines have the same active ingredient, the same work of administration and the same dosage strength. They only have different inactive ingredients, shape, color and packaging. When it comes to quality and effectivity, they are the same,” said Reyellen M. Magallon, National Drug Policy Compliance Officer of the Department of Health Regional Field Office 6.
Active ingredients are those responsible for curing the disease while inactive ingredients are additives but have no effect on the therapeutic use of medicines, she explained.
She added that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will not also allow medicines to be sold in the market if they have not checked their quality.
Magallon stated that since generic medicines are affordable, it is expected that patients can “complete their treatment regimen as prescribed by the doctors, especially antibiotics”.
She said that if the treatment is not completed, then there is a possibility of “anti-microbial resistance”.
Meanwhile, Gladys Mae V. Sanchez of the FDA said that brand names are just company names of manufacturers.
“All drugs have generic names. As consumers, we have to be aware that brand names are just the company name given by their manufacturers. In general, all medicines that we use have generic names. They become expensive because of the brand,” she said.
She cited that FDA inspectors conduct post marketing surveillance (PMS) where they conduct outine inspection of drug stores/establishment.
During the inspection, they check if their products are registered with the FDA. They also verify if the prescription of medical practitioners use the generic names of products that they sell.
Magallon said that DOH Memorandum No. 2009-009 or the Generic Only Prescribing provides that strictly public or government physicians shall prescribe generics only medicines. Private doctors have options to prescribe branded medicines as long as the generic name is indicated.
Incidentally, the DOH will hold a Generics Summit on September 26 in the municipality of Tubungan.
“We will educate the community about the rational use of medicines and generic medicines,” Magallon said, adding that they also invited a public pharmacist to discuss about generic medicines.
This September, the country observes the Generics Awareness Month that anchors on the theme “Tatlongh Dekada: Generics, Abot Kamay…Abot Kaya!” (PNA)
