Author: Mariana Viana
May 19, 2017 – 12:39 p.m.
The economic crisis and, consequently, the need for Brazilians to spend less, has increased the demand for generic drugs. According to information from the Brazilian Association of Generic Drug Manufacturers (PróGenéricos), based on indicators from IMS Health, an institute that audits the pharmaceutical retail sector in Brazil and worldwide, sales in January this year grew by 11.14% compared to the same month last year.
In total, more than 92 million units were sold in January 2017, compared to 82.818 million in the same period in 2016. Pharmacist Apoema Coutinho, who works at a pharmacy in downtown Teresina, began to notice the increase in sales last year.
"Since 2016, people have been looking more for generics because they are low-cost medicines with guaranteed quality for consumers, as they are authorized by the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa). That's what people are looking for, quality and a good price," she says.
She also reports that the most sought-after generics are those for continuous use, such as medications to control blood pressure. "In addition to these, we also sell many medications for headaches, flu, and fever. In the case of antibiotics, which are in high demand, we only sell them with a prescription," she explains.
The demand for this type of medication has grown so much that almost 40% of the population already uses it. A survey conducted by the Febrafar Institute for Research and Continuing Education (Ifepec) recently revealed that generic drugs have overcome mistrust and that 37% of Brazilian consumers purchase this type of medication.
One of the factors that also contributed to the growth in sales of generic drugs this year was the price adjustment of 19,000 medicines. The forecast increase of up to 4.76% was announced in March this year.
See original: http://www.capitalteresina.com.br/noticias/geral/crise-faz-aumentar-a-procura-por-genericos-51172.html