KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 30 — The Malaysian Organisation of Pharmaceutical Industries (MOPI) has promoted the use of quality-assured and affordable generic medicines in private health care to support patient choice.
MOPI, which represents 60 local manufacturers of generics and biosimilars, and supporting industries, said it concurred with the Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM) and the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) that clinical decision-making must remain the purview of health care professionals, in consultation with their patients.
“However, statements such as, ‘Some patients may not respond well to generic medication and require brand-name drugs for effective management of their condition’ by APHM, raise doubt on the effectiveness of generic medicines,” said MOPI executive director Billy Urudra in a statement.
“Also, MMA’s statement, ‘While generics may be suitable in most cases, there are situations such as narrow therapeutic index medicines or where intolerance has occurred, where a specific brand is clinically necessary’, raises concerns on safety and effectiveness of generics.
“These statements are not justifiable and further exacerbates the confidence of generic and biosimilar medicines, which can create a false perception of generics and biosimilars as a lesser option.”
APHM and MMA’s statements were in response to third-party administrators (TPAs) or insurers limiting private health care providers to only generic drugs, which they said risked compromising the quality of care and undermined patient rights.
At least one TPA, on behalf of a corporate client, has already imposed a blanket generic-only mandate for long-term medications on panel clinics, hospitals, and pharmacies.
When asked for a response to a generic-only policy by payers, Billy acknowledged that many medicines are still under patent and, as such, no generic versions are available.
“But where there are generic and biosimilar options, this must be offered to patients,” he told CodeBlue.
MOPI stressed that all generic and biosimilar medicines marketed in Malaysia must undergo stringent regulatory approval processes by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) to ensure they are safe, efficacious, and quality-assured.
“They are manufactured according to the same high standards and provide patients with the same clinical benefits as originator medicines. The safety profile of generics and biosimilars have been well-documented globally, and they have been used to treat billions of patients without compromising outcomes,” said Billy.
“Generics are required to undergo clinical studies to prove bioequivalence to the originator medicine. This stringent regulatory process ensures that generic and biosimilar medicines are therapeutically equivalent to originator products.
“They contain the same active pharmaceutical ingredient and meet the same high standards for quality, safety, and efficacy. They are not ‘cheap alternatives’—they are bioequivalent medicines.”
MOPI described the rising cost of health care, driven by an aging population and prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), as a “national challenge”.
“Quality-assured generic and biosimilar medicines are a cornerstone of a sustainable health care strategy. The cost savings generated allow for vital resources to be reallocated towards innovative treatments and advanced medical technologies, benefitting all Malaysians,” said Billy.
He added that the MOH’s generic-first policy is a “proven” strategy to ensure both quality of care and the long-term sustainability of the health care system.
Unlike health care services provided by the MOH, which are funded by the government, private health care is paid for either by self-pay patients or those covered by health insurance, with premiums paid by patients directly or by their employers.
Billy expressed support for APHM’s call to enhance local pharmaceutical manufacturing to strengthen our nation’s medicine supply security.
“MOPI is committed to fostering greater understanding and confidence in generic and biosimilar medicines among all stakeholders.”
“We urge a focus on education and collaborative engagement between manufacturers, health care providers, and payers to ensure that clinical decisions are fully informed and patient-centric.”