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. Patent drugs can cost five or six times more than generic drugs.

"People should also be aware of their right to ask for generic drugs on a prescription, and doctors should not refuse such a request," Posma said.

Consumers have the right to get clear information on a product and the right to options, he said.

He also said the Ministry of Health had to be more dedicated in increasing people's awareness about generic drugs.

In 1989, the minister of health issued regulation No. 85 obliging doctors at government hospitals to prescribe generic drugs.

However, only a few doctors still adhere to the regulation.

Most people think that the more expensive a drug, the more effective it is, and as such generic drugs have never gained popularity here.

The government believes the problem also lies in the selling mechanism, where the price is relatively low and the industry is unwilling to produce the product.

Distributors and drug outlets also do not like lower prices as the profit margin is small, health minister Achmad Suyudi said earlier.

Now the government plans to increase the price of generic drugs by up to 7 seven percent to help develop the market.

There are about 12,000 kinds of drugs sold in Indonesia, 60 percent of which are prescription drugs. About 80 percent of the prescription drugs are patent and generic drugs.