The OECD’s Health at a Glance 2025 report, published in 2025, evaluates the health systems of member countries using comparative indicators. The findings for Türkiye point to a particularly striking picture in the area of generic medicine use. According to the report, generic medicines account for 62% of the market by volume in Türkiye, while the OECD average stands at 56%.
A generic medicine is defined as a lower-cost equivalent of an “original” drug whose patent period has expired and which contains the same active ingredient, in the same dose, with a similar therapeutic effect. In other words, patients can access medicines with the same therapeutic effect at a more affordable cost by using a generic version instead of the branded product.
OECD data suggest that Türkiye pursues a cost-effective approach in its pharmaceutical policies. The high rate of generic medicine use creates a significant advantage for the sustainability of public health expenditures, especially in a period when chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular conditions are highly prevalent. The report also notes that although per capita health spending in Türkiye is below the OECD average, the country achieves outcomes that are comparable to, and in some cases better than, the OECD average in certain clinical indicators (for example, 30-day mortality rates after heart attack and stroke).
These findings are not only a piece of news for Health Management students but also a live case study. The example of generic medicines shows that health policy is not limited to the number of hospitals, bed capacity or emergency department organisation; medicine pricing, reimbursement rules and rational use of medicines are also central components of the health system.
The ratios presented in the report are also important for developing students’ data-driven thinking skills. Seemingly simple indicators such as “62% in Türkiye, 56% in the OECD” become concrete starting points for discussions on health economics and cost–effectiveness. In a country with more limited resources, the ability to achieve similar health outcomes through generic medicine policies offers a practical answer to the question: “Is it possible to deliver the same level of health with lower costs?”
The Türkiye-specific findings of the OECD Health at a Glance 2025 report thus provide both health system decision-makers and Health Management students with a current and instructive framework that invites them to think together about pharmaceutical policies, budget management and evidence-based health management.
