Generic drug market in Japan survey

Yano Research Institute, a specialist market research firm in Japan, has released a survey of the Japanese generic drug market, concerning the attitude of health care professionals towards generics, also gathering data about market players.

Responses were collected from 554 general practitioners from facilities with fewer than 20 beds and from 176 hospitals (over 300 beds). The top five generic drugmakers as used by respondents were all based locally: Sawai Pharmaceutical (43.6%), Towa Pharmaceutical (30.1%), Nichi-Iko Pharmaceutical (29.5%), Merck Hoei (28.3%) and Taiyo Yakuhin (22.5%).

Generic products were prescribed by 77.4%, while 7.9% said they did not use them at all. The main reason given for generic prescribing was "the reduction of the burden on patients," quoted by three quarters of respondents.