Section actions
Duration: Buy — 5 minutes
Cost: Cheap Generic; CPAM 15 money back to 100 % according to medicine
On-site only
Who this guide is for
Section actions
- You if you have been prescribed a drug and offered a generic
- You if you want to understand the refund and why the generic is advantageous
- If you want to replace the original with a generic in pharmacy
To be prepared in advance
Section actions
- Doctor's prescription
- Vital card and mutual card
- Knowledge of the active substance in your medicine
Step-by-step procedure
Section actions
- 1Get a doctor's prescription. The doctor may indicate princeps (original) or DC (common name). The pharmacist may propose a generic unless "not substitutable".
- 2The pharmacist offers a generic if available — you can accept or refuse. Refusal leads to a decrease in the CPAM refund (for most drugs — 10 to 40 points).
- 3The CPAM reimburses: 100 % for ALD/SMUR, 65 % for most, 35 %/15 % for "comfort" drugs. The calculation is made on the reference tariff (generic or princeps).
- 4The mutual covers the rest (moderator ticket). The generic refusal = remains higher (you pay the princeps-tariff difference).
- 5Generics are safe: same active substances, efficiency, quality. Marketing (package) differs, but the content is identical.
- 6Alternative contract: Pharmacists are required to offer generics (agreement with CPAM). The patient's refusal is documented in the pharmaceutical file.
- 7Allergy/intolerance to certain components (colorants, lactose) — the doctor can mark "non-substitutable", where refund full of the princeps.
- 8Off-list medications (not refunded): homeopathy not reimbursed from 2021, certain comforts – at your expense.
Common mistakes
Section actions
- Denying generics "by habit" — loss of reimbursement.
- Believe the generic is less effective. No — same active substance.
- Do not report an allergy to a component to the doctor — risk of reaction.
- Pay full rate without knowing the rate — check the rate.
- Do not use the Vital Card — no automatic paying third parties.
Official sources
Section actions
Show sources in this section
Important remark
Prices and the list of medicines reimbursed are changing. This information is indicative — for your medicine, check with Ameli.
Did this guide help you?
Thank you! Signal transmitted anonymously if the statistics are enabled.
Have you noticed a mistake?
The message opens in your email with the page, address and context. Vitalpes does not store the report on the site.
