PRESCRIBE BY BRAND

PRESCRIBE BY BRAND

THE IMPORTANCE OF PRESCRIBING BIOLOGICS BY BRAND

PRESCRIBE BY BRAND NAME TO ENSURE PATIENT CONTINUITY

Numerous national guidelines recommend that all biological medicines, including biosimilar medicines, should be prescribed by brand name1-6.

The MHRA has confirmed that brand name prescribing for biological products is good practice7. This ensures automatic substitution of a biosimilar product does not occur when dispensed and supports ongoing pharmacovigilance of products8.

Guidance from NHS England states that automatic substitution is not permitted for biological medicines, including biosimilars2.

As biosimilar medicines often use the same INN as their reference product, an important way to ensure substitution does not take place is through brand name prescribing2.

PRESCRIPTIONS FOR ENOXAPARIN DISPENSED IN RETAIL

REFERENCES

  1. The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry. Biological and biosimilar medicines in the UK. July 2014.
  2. What is a Biosimilar Medicine? May 2019. NHS England Medical Directorate.
  3. Scottish Medicines Consortium. Biosimilar medicines. May 2015.
  4. NICE National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). 2014; British National Formulary – General guidance. Available at: https://bnf.nice.org.uk/guidance/guidance-on-prescribing.html. Date accessed: October 2021.
  5. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. KTT15: Biosimilar medicines. February 2016 (Updated February 2018).
  6. Which medicines should be considered for brand-name prescribing in primary care? Specialist Pharmacy Service. November 2020. Available at: https://www.sps.nhs.uk/articles/which-medicines-should-be-considered-for-brand-name-prescribing-in-primary-care/#:~:text=Medicines%20include%3A,%2C%20phenytoin%2C%20tacrolimus%20and%20theophylline. Last accessed: November 2021
  7. GOV.UK. Biosimilar products. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/drug-safety-update/biosimilar-products. Last accessed: October 2021.
  8. NHS Biosimilar commissioning framework. September 2017. Medicines, Diagnostics and Personalised Medicine Policy Team, National Medical Directorate, NHS England.
  9. Sanofi Data on File. Enoxaparin Brand Written Share Sep 2020 – Aug 2021. MAT-GB-2002244 (v2.0).

MAT-GB-2102291 (v2.0) Date of preparation: November 2021