Maximum 10% generic Rxing in Japan

No more than 10% of prescriptions allowing generic drug substitution will actually be switched with copy medicines at the dispensing pharmacist, Masaki Muto, executive managing director of the Japan Society of Generic Medicines told the recent CPhI Worldwide meeting, an international convention on pharmaceutical ingredients and intermediates, in Tokyo.

Despite government moves to promote the use of copy drugs (Marketletter passim), he noted that generic substitution is particularly unlikely when the approved indications for these are different to the original drugs.

Dr Muto went on to tell delegates that the percentage of patients who prefer generics will not be that great, despite the introduction of the new prescription form that permits substitution unless specifically contraindicated by checking off a designated box.