Japan to list NIH generics twice a year

The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has decided to add generic drugs to the National Health Insurance drug price list twice a year to promote use of generic drugs from this fiscal year (2007). The move was approved at the Chuikyo (Central Social Insurance Medical Council) meeting on April 18.

Although generic drugs have been listed once a year so far, the status survey on the use of copycat medicines, which tried to verify the results of the 2006 medical fee revision (Marketletter February12), showed that only 5.7% of the total prescriptions which allow a physician to check in "an approval column" for generic substitution available, actually made the doctor change branded products to generic drugs. "Signed" by a doctor in the approved column accounted for 17.1% of total prescriptions, reports the Marketletter's Tokyo correspondent.

Some Chuikyo members call for four times a year listing