OBJECTIVES: Generics in Greece are priced at 65% of the price of the reference off-patent while off patents are priced at the minimum between a decrease of 50% of their latest on - patent price, and the average of the three lowest prices of the same product among the EU countries. The purpose of this study is to assess the price level of generics pantoprazole in Greece.

METHODS: Official pricing data were used to identify the three EU countries which set the outpatient market price for off-patent pantoprazole 40 mg in Greece in December 2016. The ex-factory prices for the originator and generics in each of the three EU countries were derived from the official price sources in each country. All prices were normalized to correspond to monthly treatment.

RESULTS: Originator pantoprazole price derived from the prices of the same product in Ireland, Poland and Austria. Average ex-factory price for generic pantoprazole 40mg in Greece (2.05€) were lower than the respective ex-factory price in Ireland (3.08€:- 33.31%), in Poland (2.61€: -21.35%), and in Austria (2.76€: -25.68%).

CONCLUSIONS: Average ex-factory price for generic pantoprazole in Greece is up to 33.31% below the respective generic prices at the EU countries with the lowest price of the reference originator. With rebates and clawback considered, the average ex-factory price for generic pantoprazole in Greece is further reduced by 30% approximately in 2016. However, despite the excessively low net ex- factory price of generics (after rebates and clawback), current generic penetration (~25%) still remains far from the MoU target of 40% by volume for 2017. This suggests for the need of an effective and reasonable pricing regulation to ensure market viability for generics in parallel with demand side measures to foster generic use through appropriate incentives for physicians, pharmacists and patients.