Generics in Oncology: Better Patient Adherence

The improved availability and access to generic oncology medications means that effective, affordable treatment has never been more accessible to your oncology patients.

Generic oncology medications offer the same pharmacological effects at a more modest cost. In fact, the price for a generic version of a medication – according to a study of all medications, not just oncology medications – can be as much as 85% lower. Not surprisingly, generics are growing at twice the rate of the overall oncology market. And even more interesting is the fact that patient adherence increases with the use of generics, since the reduction of cost lessens the financial burden of treatment which would otherwise stand in the way for some patients in continuing treatment.

Some patients express concern that generics won’t be as effective as their brand name counterparts. These patients should be reassured that generics contain the same active ingredient and undergo stringent testing, to meet the same standards for purity, quality, and strength as their branded counterparts.

Here’s a list of some of the latest generic oncology drugs and their branded version in parentheses:

• Abiraterone (Zytiga)

• Bexarotene (Targretin) 

• Capecitabine (Xeloda)

• Imatinib (Gleevec)

BioPlus Specialty Pharmacy’s dedicated oncology team is here and ready to provide support to prescribers and their patients in navigating generic oncology treatments.

Source

Garg A, CSN D, Jandoo T. Perceptions and challenges for adoption of generics and biosimilars in oncology. Advances in Hematologic Malignancies July 11, 2019 DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.85587