Prescribing Generic Medications: A “Best Practice” Guideline

The American College of Physicians recommends that clinicians prescribe generic drugs whenever possible.

Sponsoring Organization: American College of Physicians (ACP)

Target Audience: All prescribing clinicians

Background

In the U.S., prescription drugs account for about 10% of healthcare spending. In this statement from the ACP, researchers reviewed the literature on generic drugs, including strategies for optimizing their use.

Key Points

Several studies have documented high rates of brand-name medication prescribing when generic options were available. In a study of Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes (Ann Intern Med 2013; 159:105), brand-name agents for which identical generics were available accounted for 23% to 45% of prescriptions during 2008; Medicare could have saved about US$1.4 billion that year for diabetes patients by using generic sub…

Reviewing Author

Jamaluddin Moloo, MD, MPH

Disclosures

Grant / Research supportColorado Health Foundation