Millions of pounds have been saved by switching to generic and cheaper versions of medicines

Tens of millions of pounds have been saved by switching to generic and cheaper versions of medicines for an extensive range of conditions. Approximately 4/5 medicines prescribed in the NHS are non-branded, a recent move that saved the NHS £1.2bn in 36 months.

One-third of these savings came from changing patients with inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis from Humira to biosimilar adalimumab.

Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for England, David Webb, stated: “We are also delivering on programmes to ensure we are responsible prescribers, using medicines safely and effectively and with appropriate review to continue to improve patient outcomes.”

Chief executive of the British Generic Manufacturers Association, Mark Samuels, stated: “Working in partnership with the British generics industry is helping to ensure that NHS hospitals have a secure supply of medicines for patients across the country and some of the lowest generic drug prices in Europe are also helping to deliver significant savings for taxpayers.”