[Reporter's view] A groundbreaking policy is needed

to end the distrust of generics

Controversy is in full swing over Madopar, a Parkinson's disease drug that withdrew from the Korean market early this year due to profitability issues.

 

Patients want Madopar again, saying that the only remaining generic drug after Madopar was withdrawn has severe side effects.

 

Furthermore, it raises the question of calculating the drug price of the original drug.

 

First of all, the government extended the grace period for Madopar's insurance benefit deletion from July 31st to December 31st.

 

During this period, benefits can be applied even if Madopar is prescribed in stock.

 

However, extending the grace period is only a short-term solution.

 

After December 31st, it is clear that patients' dissatisfaction will increase.

 

Accordingly, some are discussing ways to recall Madopar within the current drug pricing policy.

 

It is said that the upper limit amount will be raised through the drug ceiling amount adjustment system so that the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety must obtain re-permission.

 

The Ministry of Health and Welfare also said that it would speed up the related procedures if it applied for reimbursement after re-permission by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.

 

But even this is not a fundamental solution.

 

In the future, such a situation may arise again in the market where the original is withdrawn and only the generic remains.

 

This has a problem in that it is difficult to maintain order in the drug price system, and above all, it can further accelerate distrust of generic drugs.

 

We need the best way to calm patients' dissatisfaction right away, but we also need to come up with measures to cut off distrust of generics in the long term.

 

If patients cannot trust generics because of side effects, health authorities should consider verifying their effectiveness through various data and patient interviews.

 

Through this, it is necessary to verify whether some side effects are inflated or whether side effects actually appear only in generic drugs.

 

If side effects appear only in generic drugs, the background should be found and reflected in the improvement of the approval system.

 

This is because the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety may miss something just by verifying the equivalence of drug efficacy.

 

The measures currently put forward by the authorities are only short-term prescriptions aimed at calming patients and public opinion.

 

Even if things become complicated, we must take a broader perspective and respond preemptively.

 

That's the only way for generic trust.