The Ministry of Health in Indonesia is planning to make the prescription of generic drugs obligatory in state health facilities unless there are only non-generic drugs available. Indonesia’s Health Minister Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih said she will issue an official ministerial decree. This decree would be an update to the 1989 version, which was never truly enforced until now.
Indonesia’s healthcare spending has grown considerably over the past five years, though the country still suffers from a relatively high maternal mortality rate. The government hopes that the focus on generics will decrease spending but also provide medical care to those in need.
However, there have been studies where generics have not been as effective as branded products and may actually be more costly in the long run. Experts say that Indonesia may require a complete overhaul of its medical health care system, especially in the realm of drug usage and prescriptions.