The themes for the Algerian Society of Pharmacy’s 22nd Journées Pharmaceutiques Nationales was health policy , intellectual property , self-medication and hospital pharmacy. A panel of national and international experts addressed the generic drugs and the pharmaceutical industry in Algeria.
According to Prof. P. J. Pitts , president of the U.S. Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, "We cannot replace quality with cost. Even a high quality generic does not always give the same therapeutic effect as the innovative product . The authorities should work with physicians and pharmacists to ensure that patients remain at the center of debate. The most expensive drug is the one that does not work. The most effective treatment is one that delivers good patient outcomes," he said.
The President of the National Council of the Order of Pharmacists , Dr. Lotfi Benbahmed, insisted on continuing education for pharmacists and also the establishment of a system to determine the traceability of drugs to determine responsibility.
"The door is open to counterfeiting and quackery. It is a great danger to public health if official medication is not controlled."
The complete article (in French) can be found here.
