Can I ask for branded medicine instead of generic at a French pharmacy?
Non-brand drugs are generally cheaper but contain similar ingredients
If you want a branded version you need to pay upfront for it and will not benefit from the usual policy of no upfront billing for prescribed medication
Quality Stock Arts/Shutterstock
Reader question: I have been prescribed a generic medicine but would prefer the branded one. Do I have a choice?
It is possible to request brand-name medicine, however doing so can lead to higher out-of-pocket costs.
Generic and brand-name medicines contain the same active ingredients (with medicinal properties) though there may be other minor differences in composition. Generics usually cost less.
Read more: French pharmacies attract American visitors with their lower prices
Reimbursement rules change for medicines
Generally, if you want a branded version you need to pay upfront for it and will not benefit from the usual policy of no upfront billing for prescribed medicine (dispense d'avance de frais).
You need to manually request reimbursement by asking the pharmacists for a feuille de soins form for the medicine. Send this, and the original prescription, to your caisse primaire d’assurance maladie.
In addition, the reimbursement rate is tied to the cost of the generic, and if the branded version costs more you have to pay the difference out of pocket.
For example, if the generic costs €20 with 65% reimbursement, state health insurance will reimburse €13 (in fact €12 after a €1 franchise médicale levy on the box) with the remainder being paid for by you or by your mutuelle (apart from the franchise).
If you ask for a brand-name medicine that costs €25, Assurance Maladie will still only reimburse €12.
Some top-up mutuelles will fully cover medicine costs, but this is not always standard and they may also require you opt for generics where possible.
However, you have the right to ask pharmacists about the medicines you have been prescribed, and there is nothing wrong with asking for the branded version if you prefer.
Note that in some cases – such as if you are allergic to an ingredient in a generic – you may be required to have the branded version.
In this case, your prescription will say non-substitutable. The prescription will include letter codes giving the justification for this.
Here you can benefit from exemption from upfront payment and reimbursement will be based on the actual medicine cost.
This is also the case if (unusually) the generic medicine actually costs more than the branded equivalent.
