{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1357630,
        "msgid": "govt-told-to-intensify-generic-drugs-promotion-1447893297",
        "date": "2003-08-09 00:00:00",
        "title": "Govt told to intensify generic drugs promotion",
        "author": null,
        "source": "JP",
        "tags": null,
        "topic": null,
        "summary": "Govt told to intensify generic drugs promotion Sari P. Setiogi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The chairman of the House of Representatives Commission VII for health and population affairs, Posma Tobing, urged the government on Friday to intensify its promotion of generic drugs to build public trust in and knowledge of such drugs. \"People should realize generic drugs are of the same quality as patent drugs even though they cost less,\" Posma said on Friday.",
        "content": "<p>Govt told to intensify generic drugs promotion<\/p>\n<p>Sari P. Setiogi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n<p>The chairman of the House of Representatives Commission VII for<br>\nhealth and population affairs, Posma Tobing, urged the government<br>\non Friday to intensify its promotion of generic drugs to build<br>\npublic trust in and knowledge of such drugs.<\/p>\n<p>\"People should realize generic drugs are of the same quality<br>\nas patent drugs even though they cost less,\" Posma said on<br>\nFriday. Patent drugs can cost five or six times more than generic<br>\ndrugs.<\/p>\n<p>\"People should also be aware of their right to ask for generic<br>\ndrugs on a prescription, and doctors should not refuse such a<br>\nrequest,\" Posma said.<\/p>\n<p>Consumers have the right to get clear information on a product<br>\nand the right to options, he said.<\/p>\n<p>He also said the Ministry of Health had to be more dedicated<br>\nin increasing people's awareness about generic drugs.<\/p>\n<p>In 1989, the minister of health issued regulation No. 85<br>\nobliging doctors at government hospitals to prescribe generic<br>\ndrugs.<\/p>\n<p>However, only a few doctors still adhere to the regulation.<\/p>\n<p>Most people think that the more expensive a drug, the more<br>\neffective it is, and as such generic drugs have never gained<br>\npopularity here.<\/p>\n<p>The government believes the problem also lies in the selling<br>\nmechanism, where the price is relatively low and the industry is<br>\nunwilling to produce the product.<\/p>\n<p>Distributors and drug outlets also do not like lower prices as<br>\nthe profit margin is small, health minister Achmad Suyudi said<br>\nearlier.<\/p>\n<p>Now the government plans to increase the price of generic<br>\ndrugs by up to 7 seven percent to help develop the market.<\/p>\n<p>There are about 12,000 kinds of drugs sold in Indonesia, 60<br>\npercent of which are prescription drugs. About 80 percent of the<br>\nprescription drugs are patent and generic drugs.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-told-to-intensify-generic-drugs-promotion-1447893297",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}