The Order of Physicians has agreed to use unified prescriptions for medicine, the Ministry of Public Health announced. These prescriptions allow pharmacies to use generic medicines instead of innovator ones.

Generic drugs are a similar and cheaper alternative  to listed brand or reference drugs (called “innovator” drugs) in intended use, quality, dosage, strength, and route of administration.

This move is expected to cut costs for both the government and citizens. “The State pays back the price of drugs through the National Social Security Fund (NSSF). Therefore, buying less expensive drugs would lower expenses for the State,” said Sharaf Bou Sharaf, former Chief of the Order of Physicians.

“This step will help reduce counterfeiting, since unified prescriptions have barcodes that cannot be forged,” he said.
Generic drugs used would be internationally-accredited but in the cases where they are not available, innovator medical prescriptions would be used.