More pressure for generics in Japan

The Fiscal System Council of Japan's Ministry of Finance has recommended the government to promote the use of generic medicines to  improve efficiency in drug benefits so as to make the current National  Health Insurance system sustainable within the constraints of the 2010  fiscal year social security budget.

The council stressed the need to tackle ways of ensuring stable  financial resources, improving efficiency of drug benefits, including  the promotion of copy-drug use, and computerization of medical bills, as  well as considering new taxation and insurance premiums as financial  resources for the health insurance system.

The FSC also recommends the government to seek the budget ceiling when  discussing the FY 2010 revision of medical fees and NHI drug prices from  the viewpoint of the trends in salaries among the private sectors and  consumer prices, reports the Marketletter's correspondent.