El asma

En los últimos años se ha profundizado en el conocimiento fisiopatológico de la enfermedad asmática, se ha modificado el abordaje terapéutico (dándosele gran importancia al tratamiento de fondo con antiinflamatorios), se han desarrollado nuevas y fructíferas vías de investigación farmacológica y se han publicado abundantes datos de investigación clínica y epidemiológica de calidad que nos orientan sobre el efecto que tienen estas novedades en el pronóstico de la población asmática. En este trabajo se han revisado y se resumen los avances mencionados y se presenta un abordaje terapéutico basado en las publicaciones de consenso de diferentes grupos de trabajo internacionales (AU)

[The introduction of generic pharmaceutical products into Galicia]. / Introducción de las especialidades farmacéuticas genéricas en Galicia.

OBJECTIVE: To know the evolution of the introduction of generic drugs (GDs) in Galicia. Secondarily, to evaluate its potential impact on pharmaceutical expenditure. DESIGN: Descriptive study of GDs utilization. Cost-minimization analysis. SETTING: Galician autonomous region, year 1998. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Using data from the prescription billing registry of Social Security we have selected the active ingredients corresponding to GDs with prescriptions in Galicia in 1997. We have analyzed the data for their oral single substance preparations by quarters. Consumption in DHDs of allopurinol, atenolol, captopril, naproxen and ranitidine remained stable during 1998. The market share for their GDs in quantitative terms relative to both total consumption of the active ingredients and to their pharmaceutical equivalents, showed an overall growing trend. The maximum observed value was seen for ranitidine at last quarter. Total expenditure (in final customer prices) during 1998 on the selected active substances was higher than 1864 million pesetas. Potential savings afforded by substitution for the lowest price GD prescribed in Galicia would reach 427 million pesetas. CONCLUSIONS: GDs market penetration in Galicia during 1998 was limited but increasing. Its utilization may afford estimated savings of 21-28% of the cost for the selected drugs. However, the expenditure on the above drugs was just 2.7% of total pharmaceutical expenditure.