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Japan likely lift generic drug use to cut medical expense

Xinhua, May 26, 2015 Adjust font size:

A new generic drug goal has been proposed in Japan to save medical expenses, local media reported Tuesday.

Japan should aim to increase the penetration rate of generic drugs to 80 percent or higher by the end of March 2021 from 46.9 percent in September 2013, Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Yasuhisa Shiozaki was quoted as saying by Jiji Press on Tuesday.

If the target is achieved, the country is expected to reduce medical expenses by 1.3 trillion yen (about 10.53 billion U.S. dollars) from the current levels, Shiozaki said.

Japan already has a goal of raising the penetration rate to 60 percent or higher by the end of March 2018. Shiozaki said this goal should be achieved one year in advance.

Shiozaki proposed the new goal as part of a package of measures to reduce medical expenses, at a meeting of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy where ways to improve the country's state finances were discussed.

The use of generic drugs should be promoted further, Abe said at the meeting. Endi