Abstract

The increased use of generic medicines can play a role in creatingsustainable European health care systems. To support the developmentof generic medicine markets, countries need to implement a long-termgeneric medicine policy which ensures that supply-side and demandsidemeasures reinforce each other and are part of a coherent policy.Such an approach needs to be centred around one key policy driver,the type of which may vary between countries and needs to be adaptedto local circumstances. Additionally, pricing and reimbursement delaysfor generic medicines need to be shortened. Pricing policies needto ensure that savings provided by generic medicines reach publicpayers and patients, and policies need to integrate generic medicinecompetition in existing regulatory frameworks.