فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
In an official statement issued by the Union Coordination of General Practitioners in the Private Sector, the body expressed serious concern regarding the Ministry of Health and Social Protection’s project to prepare the “Generic Drug Guide”, which aims to allow pharmacists to substitute the prescribed medication with its generic counterpart without consulting the treating physician. The Coordination affirmed that despite the noble goals of reducing treatment costs and facilitating access to medicines, this project suffers from fundamental flaws making it unfeasible and posing a direct threat to patient safety and the principle of medical responsibility.
Main Observations of the Coordination on the Project
The Coordination recorded a series of scientific and organizational reservations, including:
- Lack of Bioequivalence: Absence of published studies and strict monitoring standards to ensure the effectiveness and safety of the substitution between generic and original drugs.
- Manufacturing Quality Variability: Differences in production control among laboratories, raising legitimate doubts about the quality of some generic medicines.
- Differences in Secondary Components: Different additives may cause unexpected side effects, especially in chronic or allergic patients.
- Difficulty in Field Monitoring: Lack of a unified digital system for tracking processes, opening the door to randomness and conflicting responsibilities.
- Absence of Actual Pharmacist: Pharmacies often supervised by unqualified assistants, making the idea of “responsible substitution” illusory.
- Lack of Training: No systematic training programs for assistants in drug substitution, increasing the risk of therapeutic errors.
- Specificity of Remote Areas: Substitution becomes a random practice in absence of constant medical or pharmaceutical supervision.
- Marginalization of Professional Bodies: Adoption of a top-down administrative approach without involving scientific and medical bodies in drafting the guide.
Union Coordination Demands
Based on these observations, the Coordination demands the following:
- Immediate suspension of the project: Until a transparent scientific basis ensuring bioequivalence is established.
- Involvement of professional bodies: In drafting the final guide through a participatory approach.
- Precise definition of legal responsibilities: Between physician and pharmacist to protect patient rights.
- Enhancement of field monitoring: Guaranteeing the permanent presence of the pharmacist and halting random practices.
- Mandatory training for assistants: In drug safety before granting any authorities.
Risk Warning and Accountability
The Coordination confirmed that implementing the project under current conditions represents an unacceptable risk undermining the foundations and ethics of medical practice. It holds the Ministry of Health fully responsible for any imbalances or complications that may arise, threatening public trust in the national health system. It called to avoid hastiness in implementing the procedure without clear scientific and realistic foundations.
This statement comes within the framework of national efforts to enhance access to affordable medications, but it highlights tensions between economic goals and medical considerations. For further details, refer to the full statement issued by the Coordination.
