[Prescription of generic drugs to privately insured persons]

The system-related differences between private health insurance and statutory health insurance in Germany could lead to divergent prescriptions of medication. The study shows that doctors whose privately insured patients have been prescribed the same medication over a long period of time will frequently continue to prescribe the original medication even after its patent protection has expired. By contrast, patients in the statutory health insurance system will usually be switched to generic drugs. However, physicians prescribing medication to a privately insured person for the first time will frequently select generics in the first place.