Generic Medicines

There is no difference in quality, purity of effectiveness and safety between generic medicines and the other original more expensive medicines. All medicines sold in Morocco must be approved by the Department of Pharmacy and medicines of the Ministry of Health. Each product must also satisfy an established strict regulation, stringent standards apply to both generic and original medicines.
It is in the price that you will see a big difference. Generic medicines cost a lot less.

The active ingredient in a generic medicine and an original medicine must meet the same scientific standards set by the pharmacy and medicine department. The excipients used for generic and original medicines come from a limited range of products and, in many cases from the same supplier.

The generic medicine has a different name and may differ slightly in appearance, but it works in exactly the same way as the original medicine you are already using. When manufacturers ask for permission to sell the generic equivalent of an original medicine, they must prove to the Ministry of Health that their product is as safe and effective as the original version. They must also demonstrate that the active ingredients in their medication are just as pure; they dissolve at the same rate and are absorbed in the same way as the original product.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist maybe you already have a generic medicine. Otherwise, it may be that the generic equivalent of the drug prescribed by your doctor is not yet on the market. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

In Morocco, the cost of health care is everyone's business. The cost of prescription medicines can be covered by your taxes or health insurance premiums at work, but everyone pays the price for overly expensive medicines, either by cuts in our health system, or tax increases or premiums. Generic medicines help reduce costs for taxpayers and employers. Morocco's health systems are in crisis because there is not enough money to fund the services Moroccans need. To avoid further service cuts in our health system to which we hold so dearly, the entire Moroccan population must know the implications of medicines costs throughout the health system.

Generic medicine manufacturers are dynamic companies dedicated to research & development and manufacturing of medicines in Morocco. They use advanced scientific technologies and advanced manufacturing techniques to develop products that include among others, generic pharmaceuticals products and consumer medicines.

A generic drug is a low-cost version of an original drug, produced by several manufacturers after the expiry of the original equivalent patents. In Morocco, patents provide 20 years of protection for original medicines. During this period, only the patent holder can produce the medicine. Thereafter, other manufacturers may submit an application to the Ministry of Health to make generic versions. When the Ministry of Health approves the request, the State, the CNSS, the CNOPS, the private insurance schemes and the consumers can take advantage of the less expensive generic versions, the medicine of origin.