A importância dos medicamentos genéricos e similares na ampliação do acesso aos medicamentos. The importance of generic and similar drugs in expanding access to medicines.

The aim of this study is identify and compare the variation of costs between price maximum to customer (PMC) of drugs of reference, generic and similar,
considering ethics and legal side. The sample is composed by 79 specialties, with 10 reference drugs, 19 generics and 50 similar. To analyze data, the calculation of PMC variation from each drug was performed. To check the difference of price that customer can pay when chooses another product with same drug in the same formulation, a calculation of variation percentage from price maximum to sell the drug to customer considering the most cheaper and expensive drug was performed. The results presented shows that the price of generics is approximated 40% less and similar drug, 70% less than reference drug. These results highlight the government importance to regulate the Brazilian pharmaceutical market and we can check that the rules to interchangeable of drugs on private health system, most of times, not follow the directives of national policy of drugs, needed to allow the access from people to drugs with a lower price possible.