Comparison of prices of originator and generic medicines

Abstract

Increasing costs of medicines is a lobal challenge, especially in low- and middle-income countries, since this is seen as a deterrent for patients to gain access to vital treatment modalities. Improvements in the affordability of essential medicines are most important in countries where there are still high out-of-pocket payments which may lead to patients not receiving treatment. The United Nations laid out seventeen sustainable development goals to be met by 2030, where the third goal puts high priority in ensuring that every person has access to treatment through a universal health coverage and be able to have access to safe and effective medicines and vaccines. Generic medicines could play a vita role in addressing medicines access issues since they allow cost savings by creating competition with the originator medicines, while rendering the same therapeutic effect.