title: Need for multicriteria evaluation of generic drug policies.
abstract: Policymakers tend to focus on improving patented drug policies because they are under pressure from patients, physicians, and manufacturers to increase access to novel therapies. The success of pharmaceutical innovation over the last few decades has led to the availability of many off-patent drugs to treat disease areas with the greatest public health need. Therefore, the success of public health programs in improving the health status of the total population is highly dependent on the efficiency of generic drug policies. The objective of this article was to explore factors influencing the true efficiency of generic prescription drug policies in supporting public health initiatives in the developed world. Health care decision makers often assess the efficiency of generic drug policies by the level of price erosion and market share of generics. Drug quality, bioequivalence, in some cases drug formulations, supply reliability, medical adherence and persistence, health outcomes, and nondrug costs, however, are also attributes of success for generic drug policies. Further methodological research is needed to measure and improve the efficiency of generic drug policies. This also requires extension of the evidence base of the impact of generic drugs, partly based on real-world evidence. Multicriteria decision analysis may assist policymakers and researchers to evaluate the true value of generic drugs.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Health Policy and Health Economics, Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), Budapest, Hungary; Syreon Research Institute, Budapest, Hungary. Electronic address: kalo@tatk.elte.hu.
authors.forename: Zoltán
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kaló
authors.affiliation: Health Outcomes Strategies, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Pharmacotherapy, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
authors.forename: Anke-Peggy
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Holtorf
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alfonso-Cristancho
authors.affiliation: Abbott Products Operations AG, Allschwil, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Syreon Research Institute, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Tamás
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ágh
authors.affiliation: Syreon Research Institute, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: András
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Inotai
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacotherapy, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brixner
mesh_terms: D004341:Drug Evaluation / Q000592:standards; D016568:Drugs, Generic / Q000592:standards* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006291:Health Policy; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D016568:Drugs, Generic
keywords: adherence; drug policies; generic drug; multicriteria decision analysis; price erosion; real-world evidence