[Generic prescription].
On the basis of increased interest by the Danish public, not only popularly but also professionally, for generic prescription, a review of the subject is presented. In USA, in particular, pronounced opposition to generic prescription exists from the medical profession and from the drug industry. It is considered that the incitement to develop an original product is weakened. It is feared that marketed "synonymous" product are not always synonymous. Investigation have been carried out to show that generic prescription can function to the satisfaction of everyone and parcticularly the consumers' satisfaction (up to 83% of the patients express satisfaction with arrangement in a Danish investigation). In addition, the system results in an immediate saving (approximately 7%), if it functions. However, at its best, the system functions in only half of the cases in the majority of places, in USA most frequently only in 10% and in England in 36%. The professional groups constitute the greatest obstacle. Doctors, in particular, show great doubts about the advisability of the system. If the system is to function at all, pharmacologists and doctors must be motivated to employ the system correctly. Education is necessary in order to avoid generic prescription involving considerable unpaid extra work for the pharmacist and the doctor. It is essential that the Danish Board of Health can guarantee that synonymous preparations on the market are, in fact, synonymous. Finally, decisions about the extent to which synonymous preparations may be dispensed must lie in the hands of the prescribing doctor who is responsible for the prescription.