Government orders inquiry as price of generic drugs soars

An inquiry into the generic drugs market has been ordered by the UK government amid evidence that some non-branded drugs now cost seven times the prices charged a year ago.

In the past year, the antibiotic amoxicillin, for example, has risen from 47p ($0.75) to £1.69 for a 250 mg pack of tablets. A 100 mg pack of thyroxine has gone up in price from 21p to £1.62, and a 40 mg pack of the diuretic frusemide (furosemide) costs £2.14, compared with 26p in September …