CAMAF Member Option Guides & Info

Generic equivalents do not have to carry the costs for research and development. As the generics are sold on proven efficacy of the original drug, large marketing budgets and elaborate packaging are not necessary hence they can be offered to the consumer at a much-reduced price. As this is an open market, there may be many different versions of the same drug available, produced by different companies. Essentially, the patented medicines of today are the generics of tomorrow. DOES A GENERIC MEDICINE lOOk DIffERENT fROM THE ORIGINAl? While a generic has the same clinical characteristics (works in exactly the same way) as the original medicine, it can differ in size, colour and shape. ARE GENERIC MEDICINES AS SAfE AS THE ORIGINAl PRODuCT? The Medicine Control Council (MCC) of South Africa requires that all drugs (generics and originals) are safe and effective and that their benefits outweigh their risks. Generic medications have the same-risk benefit profile as their original counterparts as they are subject to the same strict controls as the original drug thus making them equally effective and safe. In fact, original and generic medicines are sometimes made by the same parent company. Examples include Lipitor (click here to view related newsclip) and Aspavor (manufactured by Pfizer), Prozac and Lilly-fluoxetine (manufactured by Eli Lilly). WHAT AbOuT MANufACTuRING STANDARDS AND quAlITy? Most generic companies have extensive alliances with multinational generic companies across the world. Manufacturing sites and processes are regulated and approved by the Medicines Control Council (MCC) in South Africa, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States of America and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) in the United Kingdom thus generics have been manufactured according to world-class standards. In South Africa all medicines have to be registered with the MCC. This means that the medicine has been thoroughly tested for safety, quality and efficacy and that it can be used with peace of mind. The MCC employs a team of doctors and pharmacists who check the product to ensure that it complies with defined standards. WHICH DRuGS HAvE GENERIC SubSTITuTES? Not all drugs have generic equivalents. Your doctor/pharmacist will be able to advise you which drugs have generic equivalents. The choice is yours but you could be paying a lot less for a generic. Legislation was passed in May 2003 under the Medicines Substance Act (90/95 as amended) providing for mandatory generic substitution. This means that if you receive a prescription for medicine, you have the right to ask your pharmacist to substitute it with a generic equivalent. You do not need a new prescription from your doctor and your pharmacist does not have to discuss this with your doctor. By using generic equivalents you can reduce the price of your medication which, in turn, will help you manage your medication benefit to maximise the value of your medical scheme benefits.

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