印度將免費提供學名藥給數億人民

India to give free generic drugs to hundreds of millions Tue, Oct 23, 2012 -India has put in place a US$5.4 billion (NT$157.6 billion) policy to provide free medicine to its people. From city hospitals to tiny rural clinics, India's public doctors will soon be able to prescribe free generic drugs to all comers, vastly expanding access to medicine in a country where public spending on health was just US$4.50 per person last year. Under the plan, doctors will be limited to a generics-only drug list and face punishment for prescribing branded medicines, a major disadvantage for pharmaceutical giants in one of the world's fastest-growing drug markets. "Without a doubt, it is a considerable blow to an already beleaguered industry, " said KPMG partner Chris Stirling. But the initiative would overhaul a system where healthcare is often a luxury, despite 40 percent of the people living below the poverty line, or US$1.25 a day or less. Within five years, up to half of India's 1.2 billion people are likely to take advantage of the scheme, the government says. Others are likely to continue visiting private hospitals and clinics, where the scheme will not operate. (Reuters) 印度已實施一項價值高達五十四億美元（新台幣一千五百七十六億元）的政策，以提供免費藥物給人民。 從城市醫院到鄉村小診所，印度公立醫院醫師不久將可以開免費的學名藥給所有求診者，在健康支出去年每人僅四點五美元的國家，這項措施大幅擴展藥物的取得。 在此計畫下，醫師用藥將限定在名單上的學名藥，開專利藥將面臨處罰。在這個全球藥物市場成長最快速的地區，此舉將讓藥廠巨擘蒙受重大損失。 安侯建業聯合會計師事務所合夥人史特林說：「無疑地，這對已受困的產業是重大打擊。」 不過這項創舉將大幅改革（印度醫療）制度，在該制度中，健康照護通常十分昂貴，儘管百分之四十的人民生活在貧窮線以下，或者每日生活費一點二五美元或更少。 五年內，印度十二億人口中高達半數人民可能受惠於這項計畫，政府指出。其他人可能繼續到民營醫院與診所就醫，該項計畫將不在這些醫療院所運作。 （路透／翻譯：魏國金）