Practices of Prescribing: Critical Learning About Generics and Biosimilars

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Pediatricians, families and pharmacists are faced with increasing drug costs and a vast array of complex biologic therapies. Up-to-date knowledge on prescribing practice is always a need, specifically regarding generics and the availability of biosimilar and interchangeable biosimilar agents. According to a report from the Association for Accessible Medicines, the U.S. healthcare system saved $408 billion from using generic and biosimilar drugs in 2022, a huge jump from the $195 billion in savings accumulated in 2013.  

Listen to our pediatric experts discuss biosimilars and generic medications

In this episode, we welcome John Routt Reigart, MD, and Anita Siu, PharmD, for a conversation on the benefits of generic medications and rapid rise of biosimilar drugs. 

Dr. Reigart is professor emeritus at the Medical University of South Carolina and the chairperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on Drugs.  

Dr. Siu is a clinical professor, the vice chair for teaching and learning, and the director of faculty mentoring at the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy at Rutgers University. She is a pediatric pharmacy clinical coordinator and practices at the K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital and Jersey Shore University Medical Center. She has also been appointed to the board of directors of the Board of Pharmacy Specialties and the Pediatric Pharmacy Association liaison for the AAP Section on Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics executive committee. 

In this episode, our experts discuss:  

• Brand name vs. generic drugs 
• Misconceptions about generic drugs 
• The rise of biosimilar drugs 
• How insulin was developed as a biosimilar 
• The differences between biosimilars and generics 
• Orange and purple books and interchangeable products 
• Patents and exclusivity 
• Potential cost savings of increased biosimilar and generic prescribing