Brand or generic: how much you save
If you choose a branded medicine that costs more than the AIFA reference price, you pay the difference: the Italian NHS only reimburses the reference price. Search the medicine by name, active ingredient or AIC code to see the equivalents with the same active ingredient, strength, form and pack size, the reimbursed price and what each brand costs you extra.
Your search text reaches our server, which searches the copy of the AIFA data. We do not store it or link it to you: the response stays in the network that serves the site (CDN) for up to 6 hours, tied only to the search text.
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How the reference price works
Equivalent medicines share the active ingredient, pharmaceutical form, route of administration, release mode, number of units and dose. For these medicines the NHS reimburses up to a reference price, the same for every pack in the group and tied to the lowest price on the market (Decree-Law 347/2001, art. 7, converted by Law 405/2001). AIFA publishes the reference prices every month in the transparency list.
If your medicine costs more than the reference price, you pay the difference. It is the “Differenza” column of the AIFA list, shown by the tool as “extra”. The law has one exception only: war pensioners holding a life pension.
What the pharmacist does
If the doctor has not written on the prescription that the medicine cannot be substituted, the pharmacist informs you and gives you the lowest-priced medicine, unless you ask for the prescribed one (Decree-Law 1/2012, art. 11(12)). If you choose the more expensive brand, you pay the difference.
The doctor can write on the prescription that the medicine cannot be substituted, with a short reason (Decree-Law 95/2012, art. 15(11-bis)). Even then the price difference is yours to pay.
The regional charge
Regions can also charge a fee on medicines (a co-payment, the Italian “ticket”) and set the amounts and exemptions themselves. This tool does not calculate it: ask at the pharmacy or check your Region's website.
Generic and brand
According to AIFA an equivalent medicine has the same efficacy and safety as the reference medicine and meets the same quality standards. It may have different excipients, colour or shape. According to AIFA, packs in the same group of the transparency list are equivalent. At the pharmacy the pharmacist proposes the substitution, and the doctor can write on the prescription that the medicine cannot be substituted. Some packs carry an AIFA note, which the tool shows as published.
If you are allergic to an excipient, have been taking the medicine for a long time or there is an AIFA note, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before switching.
What you will not find here
The transparency list only covers class A medicines with equivalents on the market. It does not include class C medicines, paid in full by the buyer, or hospital-only medicines. Biologics are not included either: the law rules out automatic substitution between a biologic and its biosimilars (Decree-Law 95/2012, art. 15(11-quater)).
Some packs carry the note “In distribuzione diretta da parte delle Regioni” (distributed directly by the Regions): you may receive the medicine from your local health authority (ASL) or through a route set by the Region. Ask your ASL how it works.
Where the data comes from
The tool uses the transparency list file AIFA publishes every month, without recalculating prices: reference price, retail price and difference are those in the file. The site uses a copy of the AIFA file, which we refresh periodically: the date of the list used is always shown under the results. If AIFA has published a newer list, the one on the AIFA site prevails.
Packs flagged as in shortage come from the AIFA list of medicines in shortage. For the details there is the “Is my medicine in shortage?” tool.
Official sources
- AIFA: Transparency lists (equivalent medicines and reference prices)
- AIFA: Equivalent medicines, price and substitution
- AIFA: Questions and answers on equivalent medicines
- Decree-Law 18 September 2001, no. 347, art. 7: reimbursement price of medicines with the same composition (Normattiva)
- Decree-Law 18 September 2001, no. 347, art. 4: co-payment set by the Regions (Normattiva)
- Decree-Law 24 January 2012, no. 1, art. 11(12): substitution at the pharmacy (Normattiva)
- Decree-Law 6 July 2012, no. 95, art. 15(11-bis) and (11-quater): non-substitutability and biosimilars (Normattiva)
- AIFA: Open Data and data licence
AIFA transparency list of 15 September 2026 in the copy saved on the site; rules checked against the sources above on 11 October 2026.
The tool shows the prices published by AIFA and is not medical advice. The choice of medicine rests with your doctor and pharmacist. It is not an official AIFA service.
Data licence
Transparency list of equivalent medicines and list of medicines in shortage: AIFA, Italian Medicines Agency (Open Data) · CC BY 4.0
Changes: data reorganised for search (prices in cents, AIC codes padded to 9 digits, whitespace cleaned). Prices and differences are not recalculated.
Copy of the AIFA data used by the tools: transparency list of 15 September 2026, list of medicines in shortage of 9 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Does a generic work like the brand?
According to AIFA, yes: it has the same active ingredient, dose and form, and must show that it behaves in the body like the reference medicine. Excipients, colour and shape may differ. If you are allergic to an excipient or have doubts about your treatment, ask your doctor or pharmacist before switching.
How much extra do I pay if I choose the brand?
You pay the difference between the brand's retail price and the reference price of its group in the AIFA transparency list. For example, in the list of 15 September 2026 GLUCOBAY 100 mg, 40 tablets, costs €8.04 and the reference price is €5.63: the difference is €2.41. Your Region's charge may be added on top.
Can the pharmacist switch my medicine without asking?
No. If the doctor has not written that the medicine cannot be substituted, the pharmacist must inform you and give you the lowest-priced medicine, unless you ask for the prescribed one. In that case you pay the difference.
What does “non sostituibile” on the prescription mean?
It means “not substitutable”: the doctor decided you need that exact medicine and wrote it on the prescription with a short reason. The pharmacist cannot substitute it. If it costs more than the reference price, you still pay the difference.
If I am exempt from the ticket, do I pay the difference?
The law puts the difference on the person collecting the medicine and has one exception only: war pensioners holding a life pension. For your situation, ask at the pharmacy or your ASL.
How often do prices change?
AIFA updates the transparency list every month, usually mid-month. The date of the list the tool uses is shown under the results; if AIFA has published a newer one, that one prevails.