News March
Consumers: Nomisma Report on Generic Drugs
(AGI) - Bologna, Italy, Mar 9 - Sales for generic drug equivalents
- especially type C, non-prescription drugs - rose steeply last
year, accounting for 25.5 pc of total drugs sales, (compared to
19 pc during 2004). Brand drugs thus fell to 74.5 pc of total sales
strakes (compared to 81).
A contributing factor was the so-called "Storace" bill which makes
it mandatory for chemists to inform consumers of cheaper generic
drug alternatives to brand prescriptions. The above quoted figures
were compiled by Nomisma's Barbara Da Rin and Federfarma's Sabrina
Zimarino. Generic drugs are significantly cheaper in that their
active ingredients have no patents pending and have zero added advertising
costs.
Statistics also show that generic drugs are more successful with
consumers in northern Italy than they are in southern Italy: 32
pc compared to 18 pc of their respective market shares. Emilia-Romagna
stands out as the most prolific user of generic drug alternatives
(33 pc), marking considerable savings to families.
Source
http://www.agi.it/english/news.pl?
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