How to Save Money and Cut Medical Costs

Private members of Tokyo's Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy figure that the country could save 500 billion yen ($4 billion) annually in medical costs by doubling the share of generic drugs used.

Okay, why not triple them?

Why not buy all generic drugs that can be made that way?

The current market share for generic drugs in Japan is 17%.  By raising that share to 30%, Tokyo can safe 500 billion, roughly half the 1 trillion yen that is spent yearly.

The committee also learned that 140 billion yen ($1.2 billion) could be saved by making the proportion of personnel costs in medical fee revenues at public hospitals equal to that of private hospitals.

Let's see..

1. don't buy brand names if you don't have to

2. don't buy from the government if you don't have to.

Yup…that plan could work in a whole lot of other fields besides just the medical, no?

Do you buy generic drugs?