Belgium Issues Threat Over Generic Prescribing

The Belgian government has threatened doctors with harsh financial penalties if the level of generic prescribing is not increased to 20%. The move is intended to boost the sector's tiny market share, as pharmaceutical spending on branded drugs has continued to rise steadily in recent years.

The move is also in line with procedures in neighbouring France, where doctors are encouraged to write 12.5% of prescriptions generically. However, France's generics market as a proportion of overall drug market value is considerably higher than in Belgium.

Belgium's generics market is generally considered underdeveloped, equal to just 2% of total market spending. However, market growth has begun to accelerate in recent years, primarily as a result of the government's increased focus on cost containment. Spending on generics was an estimated US$68mn at consumer prices in 2004.