In out-patient care, prescribing biological preparations and biosimilars is guided by the Decree on Prescribing Medicines (1088/2010/Section 10) under which a doctor is required to choose the least expensive from these comparable and alternative medicinal products. A prescriber who chooses otherwise must justify the choice medically and enter the reason in the patient documentation.
In Finland it is rather common to start biological medicine treatment for new patients with the least expensive preparation.
However, further savings could be achieved if medicines for patients who are treated with biological medicines already were switched to a less expensive alternative. Increasing targeted information on biosimilars, easy availability of price comparison information for comparable preparations, and feedback to prescribers from their own prescription practices could guide the doctors prescribe biological medicines more cost-effectively.
Comparable biological originator products and biosimilars used in hospitals undergo tendering procedures, leading to lowering of the prices. Biological medicines administered in the hospital are chosen for the treatment of the patient based on tendering, if it the medicinal product is suitable for the patient.