Jakarta. The executive board of the Indonesian Pharmacist Association (IAI)  recently said the government should start nudging people to use generic drugs again, saying that they deliver the same effects as brand-name ones but can be much cheaper. 

Generic drugs usually refer to medicines that are not branded but similar in terms of dosage, administration, and performance as the brand-name ones. Indonesia today is trying to make drugs more affordable as their prices can be five times higher than in other countries. According to IAI executive board chairman Noffendri, the government should promote the use of generic drugs as they are also as effective. 

“In the past, there were TV ads that did not promote the brand, but the type of drug. We need to do this campaign again so we can promote generic drugs,” Noffendri said in Jakarta on Tuesday. 

People are more likely to buy generic drugs if the government promotes them. The government’s approval also shows that the National Food and Drug Agency (BPOM) already monitors the products in question.

“And BPOM is part of the government and ensures that the have the quality. The National Health Insurance (JKN) program mainly uses generic drugs,” Noffendri added:

There are two types of generic drugs in Indonesia, namely branded generics and unbranded ones. The unbranded drugs usually have the “generic” logo on the packaging and are typically sold at a cheaper price. Their names are usually based on the chemicals. The branded generics are off-patent drugs but sold with a trade name. They have more complex packaging compared to the unbranded ones -- more expensive than the no-brand counterpart but still cheaper than licensed drugs. 

According to Noffendri, a drug license usually lasts between 15 and 20 years. The licensed drugs in Indonesia are mainly imports. 

“That’s why [licensed drugs] are expensive, especially since they are imported,” Noffendri said.