Generic Prescribing: The Egyptian semblance

Generic prescribing is prescribing medicines by the prescriber using the international non-proprietary name, leaving the choice to the pharmacist to either dispense the brand or its generic counterpart. Generic prescribing allows any suitable generic drug rather than a brand drug to be dispensed, reduces delays in supplying medicines to the patient and leads to cost savings. Several countries have issued regulatory policies for the use of generic medicines to facilitate the access of medicines and for cost savings purpose to decrease the rapid growth of spending in the healthcare system. The aim of this current review is to highlight the current status of generic prescribing and prescribing practices in Egypt, regulatory policies as well as the perceptions of the physicians, pharmacists and patients' towards generic prescribing and its economic impact.