As laid down in the government programme, the system of substitutable medications aims to guarantee a right balance between an adequate and efficient treatment on the one hand and the financial sustainability of the health system on the other hand.
A substitutable medication is a medication with the same therapeutic activity but whose public price is lower than the price set for the medication prescribed. These medications belong to groups of substitutable medications, which are established by the Health Directorate (Direction de la Santé) based on the international scientific classification of the World Health Organisation (WHO).
By accepting the substitutable medication, the patient contributes to reducing the reimbursement expenditures without questioning the safety and efficiency of the treatment.