EDITORIAL: Push to adopt cheaper generic drugs welcome

Editorials

EDITORIAL: Push to adopt cheaper generic drugs welcome

Sunday, June 30, 2019 13:56

By EDITORIAL

The cost of treating diseases in the country has been increasing at an alarming rate, leaving many Kenyan families destitute and unable to cope with the rising medical bills.

It is therefore quite refreshing to learn that the country’s largest underwriter by market share, Jubilee, has renewed calls for policy change that will see hospitals dispense cheaper generic drugs as opposed to the costly original products.

There are numerous benefits to the push for generic drugs as they not only work in the same way but also offer the same result as their brand name counterparts.

The only difference is in the cost as the brand names are more expensive than the generic varieties.

It makes immense common sense for patients without financial means to opt for the generic alternatives.

There have been complaints about some doctors working in concert with some pharmaceutical firms to only write prescriptions for the brand names regardless of the patient’s financial capabilities.

This is not only unfair but totally unethical as it goes against the Hippocratic oath that the doctors take when they are graduating from medical institutions.

Limiting patients to the brand name medicines is not only an expensive affair for their families but only results in leaving scores of families in penury given that financing treatment is quite exorbitant, especially for the majority without medical insurance cover.

According to Jubilee, the move to adopt generic medicines at hospitals will lower the cost of treatment and will also encourage insurers to lower their medical cover premiums.

The medical insurance coverage in a country of more than 40 million is quite low hence any efforts aimed at increasing the penetration rate are not only welcome but also long overdue.

We urge the other insurance companies to join hands with their peer by supporting the push to lower the cost of treatment in the country.

Adoption of the generic drugs would also be a plus for the economy as local manufacturers would get licences from the big pharmaceutical giants to produce the alternatives in the country.

This would not only help lower treatment costs but would also lead to job creation in the manufacturing sector.