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GPhA Urges Continued Education for Health Care Providers and Consumers About Affordable Generics

ARLINGTON, VA, March 12, 2008 -- As the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging explores the potential benefits of counter-detailing programs today, the Generic Pharmaceutical Association (GPhA) urged continued education of consumers and health care providers about safe, effective and affordable treatments to improve health. With the brand pharmaceutical industry spending an estimated $30 billion on promoting brand drugs, counter-detailing efforts programs have been launched by several states to deliver objective educational material to doctors about affordable treatment options, including the use of generic medicines.

“As states struggle with escalating health care costs, affordable generic medicines are a clear solution to managing costs while increasing access to quality care,” said GPhA President and CEO Kathleen Jaeger. “The more doctors know about the benefits of generics, the more patients can save on their monthly prescription drug bills. Generics are the right choice for better health and for saving state governments and consumers billions of dollars a year.”

For more than 20 years, Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved generic medicines have been providing patients with the same medicine, quality and health benefits as brand name drugs, but at significantly lower costs. Generics are rigorously tested by the FDA and must prove that they are the same medicine with the same active ingredient, strength and dosage as their brand-name counterpart. There are thousands of generic medicines available today and all are manufactured under the same strict quality guidelines as brands.

Given the tremendous health care savings generics provide, states such as Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Florida have taken steps to educate doctors about the benefits of affordable treatments, including generics. Under these counter-detailing programs, representatives provide doctors with information about generics, diet and lifestyle changes as alternatives to medication. According to the Associated Press, one analysis found that the counter-detailing program saved Pennsylvania about $572,000 a year on heartburn drugs alone.

Today, generics account for 65% of all prescriptions dispensed in the United States, yet only 20% of the costs. A 1% increase in generic utilization would save consumers $4 billion annually.

Moreover, studies show that when patients take generic medicines, they are more likely to keep using the medicines as needed. Patients who maintain their treatments are less likely to be hospitalized for their conditions, providing substantial savings to patients and the health care system.

GPhA represents the manufacturers and distributors of finished generic pharmaceuticals, manufacturers and distributors of bulk active pharmaceutical chemicals, and suppliers of other goods and services to the generic drug industry. Generics represent 65% of the total prescriptions dispensed in the United States, but only 20% of all dollars spent on prescription drugs.

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