Generic medicines

Pharmacies under ‘enormous pressure’ because of generic drugs, says PSNC

Ongoing supply and price issues with generic drugs are putting pressure on community pharmacy contractors, the PSNC says.…

Government trialling new method of setting price concessions

The government has begun trialling a new approach to setting price concessions following sharp spikes in the prices of some generic drugs.…

FDA aims to speed up approvals of generic drugs

The US Food and Drug Administration has published guidance aimed at speeding up approvals of generic drugs.…

More generic prescribing could save £18m, NHS Business Services Authority says

Nearly £18m could be saved from the NHS drugs budget if more medicines from a published list were prescribed generically, the NHS Business Services Authority (NHS BSA) has said.…

Generic shortages: what can be done?

The supply of generic medicines is vulnerable to the vicissitudes of market forces, with exchange rates fluctuating and manufacturers restricting distribution. The Department of Health needs to intervene to shield pharmacies from the impact of price spikes and ensure the resilience of the …

Boots bows to pressure to sell cheaper morning after pill

High street pharmacy chain Boots announces it will sell a cheaper version of the morning after pill but issues BPAS with legal warning over its campaign.…

MHRA advises health professionals on supply of clobazam for epilepsy

An epilepsy charity has updated its advice for health professionals on the supply of clobazam for people with epilepsy.…

PSNC tells contractors to ‘exert maximum pressure on wholesalers’ to drive down price of pregabalin

Contractors struggling to source pregabalin at list price since restrictions placed by NHS England limiting the use of generic pregabalin were lifted have been told by the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee to “exert maximum pressure on wholesalers” to drive down its price.…

NPA produces identification checker for insulin dispensing

The National Pharmacy Association has produced a series of tables to help pharmacists and staff select the correct insulin when dispensing against generic prescriptions.…

Market competition a predictor of changes in generic drug prices, concludes US study

A decrease in market competition is strongly associated with an increase in the price of generic drugs, according to research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.…