Out-of-pocket costs for off-patent drugs to rise in October

From Jiji

September 13 2024

TOKYO – A system revision in Japan in October will increase out-of-pocket expenses for patients who choose original drugs with expired patents over their generic counterparts. 

The revision is aimed at reducing the country’s overall medical costs by promoting the use of generic drugs, which have the same efficacy as the original drugs but are cheaper. Moisturizing ointments and patches are among the 1,095 items to be affected by the revision.

Pharmacies and healthcare facilities are urging patients to be aware of the change to avoid confusion.

Under the revised system, patients will shoulder a quarter of the price difference between original and generic drugs in addition to their out-of-pocket expenses, which generally range from 10 pct to 30 pct of medical costs.

However, the revised system will not cover cases in which doctors prescribe brand-name drugs or generic alternatives are not available at pharmacies.