Portugal's Pharmacists Drug Price, Generics War?

On November 15, Portugal's national association of pharmacists, the ANF, started a campaign called "the truth about the price of medicines," said to be aimed at patients to explain the differences in the prices of various medicines, be they brand-named or dispensed as generics.

In summary, this tells consumers that they should: - demand to know the whole truth about the price of medicinal products; - demand to know why it is that in Portugal identical medicinal products have (very) different prices; - demand to know how much would be saved if drugs were prescribed by their generic, not brand, names; - if the doctor does not explain the situation, patients should be allowed to seek advice from the pharmacists about the price of drugs; - and ask the pharmacist to compare the prices of different brands of the same medicinal products, and try to understand why normally the most expensive products are prescribed.

The ANF's move has caused considerable concern within the research-based pharmaceutical industry, represented by the trade body Apifarma. Importantly, Apifarma director Isabel Saraiva told the Marketletter, it is difficult to explain to average consumers that some drugs, despite having the same apparent active ingredients, can have different effects.