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news.The German pain association has said that the drug discount contracts - part of the healthcare cost savings initiative in Germany – have affected the treatment of patients suffering from chronic pain, according to PJB news.
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A survey conducted by the association found that 400 out of the 650 patients who switched to another pain medication experienced a decline in their health. And about 540 patients said that the doctor’s decision to substitute was based on price.
According to the association, original and generic medicines which have different manufacturing methods, excipients and release mechanisms, may pose problems for the users of extended release opioids. The association, together with the German pharmaceutical society, demanded the exclusion of strong opioids from generic substitution under the discount contracts system between health insurers and drug manufacturers.
The association also said that generic substitution should be allowed only if reliable data on therapeutic equivalence are easily available, and the substitution is not likely affect the psychosocial well-being of the patients. It also requested that patients who experienced worsening of pain because of the substitution should be allowed to switch back to the original product.