[Usefulness of prescription of generic drugs for cost containment in pharmaceutics. Analysis in the Community of Navarra]. / Utilidad de la prescripción de genéricos en la contención del gasto en prestación farmacéutica. Análisis en la Comunidad Foral de Navarra.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of the use of generics drugs on the costs of pharmaceutical prescription, in order to help decide on their use. DESIGN: Descriptive study. SETTING: Prescriptions from all the doctors in the Health Service of Navarra-Osasunbidea. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Pharmaceutical products with over 5,000 containers consumed during 1994 in Navarra, and with a generic drug which had the same presentation, were selected. The cheapest generics drug was chosen and the hypothetical saving over the brand-name drug was calculated. None of the 285 products in most common use were generics. Use of generics instead of brand drugs would have saved 109,748,344 pesetas. Use of generics drugs instead of commercial products would reduce cost for the drugs studied by 21%. This saving would mean a 1.2% decrease in the overall cost of pharmaceutical prescription. CONCLUSIONS: Although generics drugs are not readily available, their use would decrease the cost of pharmaceutical prescription, with results comparable to those obtained from negotiation with the industry and pharmacists' representatives. The effect would be more long-lasting, as it would mean a change in doctors' prescription habits.

[The estimation of prevalence of Parkinson disease in Navarra. An epidemiological study of the consumption of anti-parkinsonian drugs]. / Estimación de la prevalencia de la enfermedad de Parkinson en Navarra. Estudio farmacoepidemiologico del consumo de antiparkinsonianos.

BACKGROUND: Research concerning the prevalence of Parkinson's disease in our community was scarce. In addition, this had been carried out using different methodologies. Therefore it was not possible to determine its true impact on public health in our community. Research into the consumption of specific and compulsory drugs such as L-dopa by people with Parkinson's disease made it possible for us to discover its true prevalence. METHODS: The prevalence of Parkinson's Disease (332.0 and 332.1 of the ICD, 9th Revision) is determined by the consumption of antiparkinsonian drugs (N04A) in Navarra in 1993 and 1994 by calculating the daily defined doses (DDD) per 100,000 inhabitants (10(5)) for each of the prescribed drugs. The data from prescriptions have been obtained from the Pharmaceutical Service of the Health System of Navarre, which covers 93.5% of the population. RESULTS: By determining the daily defined doses (DDD) of L-dopa per 10(5) inhabitants, a prevalence of 161.5 x 10(5) (CI 95% 172.4-150.6) is estimated for the population as a whole, 8 x 10(5) (CI 95% 10.4-5.6) for people under 65 years of age and 1001.1 x 10(5) for those of 65 years of age and over (CI 95% 1069.6-932.4). Consumption figures of L-dopa in Basic Health Areas (Health Districts) allows the determination of the geographical distribution of Parkinson's Disease in Navarra. It varies between a prevalence in people over 65 years of age of 1602.77 x 10(5) in Alsasua (north-west) and 517.61 x 10(5) in Lodosa (south). CONCLUSIONS: The figures obtained for Navarre place it in the middle range of European areas, although methodological differences do not allow definitive conclusions to be drawn in this sense.