Epilepsy Research UK is delighted that, following a full public consultation, the Government has decided not to go ahead with compulsory generic substitution (CGS) in primary care, as a means of cutting healthcare costs. Plans to introduce CGS, whereby pharmacies would (in large) be obliged to dispense a generic (usually cheaper) version of any drug, even if the branded form were prescribed by a GP, were announced in November 2009; with a view to implementing the policy in February 2010. However they were met with such strong public protest, that a full consultation on the matter was necessary.

In our November 2009 enewsletter we talked about some of reasons why CGS raised such concern, not just for people with epilepsy, but also for people with many other conditions. It would be beneficial to read this now.

In addition to the dangers (and potential healthcare costs) of suddenly altering the active drug concentration from a particular dose (as can occur when switching from branded to generic drugs), more simple issues such as differences in pill colour or packaging design to 'usual' can also cause confusion and worry.

The Government's decision on CGS, which was announced on 14 October 2010, means that doctors and other frontline health professionals can continue to base their prescribing decisions (branded versus generic drugs), on individual clinical assessment of their patients, which is exactly as it should be. Statistics show that in practice almost 85% of prescriptions written are already for generic drugs, which demonstrates that health professionals already think about cost effectiveness, in addition to clinical benefit, when treating their patients.

With this in mind, how much difference would CGS have made? The Government cannot be certain, but it now agrees that CGS is 'too prescriptive' an approach to cutting costs. It specifically used anti-epileptic drugs as an example of where CGS could cause more harm than good.

This is a fantastic example of how a combined public effort can make a real difference. People taking prescription drugs throughout the UK can now rest assured that they will continue to be given the most effective treatment for them, rather than being restricted to the cheapest; and that any change will be made with their notification, rather than as a sudden, automatic measure.

Read more here