Doliprane may soon disappear from our medicine cabinet. The National Health and Drug Agency (ANSM) has launched the procedure which aims to systematically replace the original drug based on paracetamol with its generic version. For this procedure to be done, paracetamol-based drugs must be listed in the ANSM generic directory. The notice must then be published in the Official Journal (OJ).
This directory brings together all of the generic drugs and their originators (original form.
If the measure passes, the pharmacist will have the obligation to dispense a generic based on paracetamol except in cases where it is written on the patient’s prescription the mention “non-substitutable”.
Only the “dry forms of 500 and 1000 mg” would be concerned for the moment, which excludes syrups or suppositories based on paracetamol used in particular for children, specifies AFP.
Does this sign the announced end of the yellow box? Possible. Doliprane currently occupies the first place of paracetamol-based drugs sold in France. As to paracetamol, it is the molecule that sells the most in France with 500 million boxes sold in 2012.
No more generics
This desire to replace paracetamol with a generic drug is part of the generalization policy for generics desired by the Minister of Health.
Communication campaign, request transparencyand lower prices, many efforts are being made to convince the French to swap originator drugs for generics.
Despite this, these drugs continue to arouse mistrust : for 4 out of 10 people, they would not be as effective as the originals, according to an Ifop poll published on December 10.
