Equivalent Medicines Penetration

Source: Oecd - Health at a Glance, 2013

In 2013, the annual report Health at a Glance, by Oecd, contained a chapter dedicated to "Pharmaceutical Generic Market Share" (see below, within enclosed documents).

Using a common definition across countries (i.e. generic is any equivalent product whose biosimilarity with the originator has been demonstrated), this is what the international comparison suggests.

<<All Oecd countries see the development of generic markets (makets for equivalent medicines) as a good opportunity to increase efficiency in pharmaceutical spending, by offering cheaper products than in-patent drugs for an equivalent health outcome.

However, in 2011, generics accounted for about three-quarter of the volume of pharmaceuticals covered by basic health coverage in Germany, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Denmark, while they represented less than one-quarter of the market in Luxembourg, Italy, Ireland, Switzerland, Japan and France>>.

According to Oecd definition:

<<A generic is defined as a pharmaceutical product which has the same qualitative and quantitative composition in active substances and the same pharmaceutical form as the reference product, and whose bioequivalence with the reference product has been
demonstrated. Generics can be classified in branded generics (generics with a specific trade name) and unbranded generics (which use the international non-proprietary name and the name of the company).

In most countries, the data cover all pharmaceutical consumption. However, in some countries, it only covers pharmaceuticals that are reimbursed by public insurance. In Chile, data refer only to sales in community pharmacies. In several countries, data only cover reimbursed pharmaceutical consumption>>.

Cfr. Health at a Glance, 2013