Table 5.
Generic prescribing and substitution policies in the MENA region*.
|
Generic prescribing |
Generic dispensing/substitution |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Is there a generic prescribing policy in place? | Is generic prescribing mandatory or encouraged within existing policy? 2 | For mandatory generic prescribing policies, is there an IT system? (not applicable (n/a) for non-mandatory systems) | Is there a generic substitution policy in place?2 | Is generic substitution mandatory or encouraged?2 | |
| Algeria | ✓ α | Not mandatory α | n/a | ✓ α | Not mandatory α |
| Bahrain | - β | Not mandatory β | n/a | ✓ β | Not mandatory β |
| Egypt | ✘ α1 | ✘ α | n/a | ✓ α | Not mandatory α |
| Jordan | ✓ β | Mandatory β3 | No | ✓ β | Not mandatory β |
| Kuwait | ✘ | ✘ | n/a | ✓ β | Not mandatory β ‡ |
| Lebanon | ✓α β | Not mandatory α β | n/a | ✓α β | Not mandatory α β |
| Morocco | ✓ α | Not mandatory α | n/a | – | – |
| Oman | ✓ β | Mandatory β ‡ 3 | No | ✓ β | Not mandatory β ‡ |
| Qatar | ✓ β | Mandatory β3 | No | ✘ β | ✘ β |
| Saudi Arabia | - β | Not mandatory β | n/a | ✓ β | Not mandatory β |
| UAE | ✓α β | Mandatory‡ α β3 | No | ✓α β | Not mandatory α β |
Note: * The results in this table capture what official policies may suggest; in practice, generic prescribing may be overridden by prescribers suggesting a brand. More importantly, both generic prescribing and substitution policies are poorly implemented as trust on generics is often problematic due to likely substandard or counterfeit generics or their perception as such.
- : no information or data found. Where it is used for a non-mandatory system, it was unclear from the data whether a specific policy was in place or it is allowed by virtue of no regulation existing.
‡: information limited to the public sector.
✓α = finding from primary data collection.
✓β = finding from secondary data collection.
Source: The authors, based on findings of primary and secondary evidence.
There may not be an explicit generic prescribing policy in place, nevertheless, there is a generics policy in place through the Egyptian ‘box’ system.
Both columns reflect current policies as stated in legislation. However, due to the likelihood of poor quality products entering the market in many cases, it is not known how widely these policies are implemented in practice.
Not known how widely implemented this is.