Teva UK Limited Comments on Department of Health Generic Substitution Outcome
CASTLEFORD, England, October 15, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Teva UK Limited, the UK's leading manufacturer of generic medicines, has today commented on the Department of Health's (DH) decision not to implement generic substitution in primary care.
Although deciding not to go ahead with generic substitution as the original proposals stood, DH has indicated that it will be "looking at further ways to support the use of generic medicines in a way that is acceptable to patients, recognising that there are still some savings that can potentially be delivered in this area".(1)
Says Richard Daniell, Commercial Operations Officer at Teva: "Teva is fully supportive of DH's aim to increase access to affordable medicines by encouraging cost-effective generic prescribing as an equivalent alternative to branded prescribing where there is no clinical reason not to do so."
Generic medicines maintain the same standards of quality, safety and efficacy as the originator brand at an average of 20% of the cost, and deliver GBP8.6 billion of savings to the NHS each year.(2)
Adds Richard: "To continue to prescribe by brand where there is an equivalent clinically proven and cost-effective alternative prevents NHS funds being used in other ways. As the UK's leading manufacturer of generic medicines, Teva would welcome the opportunity to work with DH to help maximise generic contribution to the NHS and save the UK tax payer even more."