The Problems of Nonproprietary Names Prescription

ABSTRACT

The government is now operating a pilot project of generic prescription in the National Medical Center and planning to execute it after analyzing the results. The aims of changing Brand Name Prescription (Proprietary Names Prescription) to Generic Prescription (Nonproprietary Names Prescription) are to reduce medical expenses, to increase patient's conveniences and rights, and to strengthen pharmaceutical companies' internal competitiveness. However, we doubt whether these goals can be reached by the execution of the Generic Prescription. More important is that Korea is not well prepared with the medicine bioequivalent experiments, which can be potentially harmful to patients. If the government should carry out this plan just because the pilot project involving some relatively safe medicines does not show problems, it will confront with big damages. Namely, carrying out the Generic Prescription in an unprepared condition will not benefit but will cause a big damage to the patients.