Consumers’ perception of generic substitution in Iran

Yousefi, Nazila; Mehralian, Gholamhossein; Peiravian, Farzad; NourMohammadi, Samaneh

doi:10.1007/s11096-015-0085-4

Cited by 17 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Keenum et al 22 have observed that most participants agreed that generic drugs were cheaper (98%), were as effective as the reference medicine (77%), and reported not caring about the replacement (80%); but only 45% said they preferred generic drugs over brand name drugs 22 . This may be due to some prior negative experiences or guidance received from the prescriber 36 . This is similar to our finding that 18% of those who do not prefer generic drugs end up replacing the prescribed drug by the equivalent generic drug.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors influencing the preference for purchasing generic drugs in a Southern Brazilian city

et al. 2017

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OBJECTIVEThe objective of this study is to identify factors associated with the preference for purchasing generic drugs in a medium-sized municipality in Southern Brazil.METHODSWe have analyzed data from a population-based cross-sectional study conducted in 2012 with a sample of 2,856 adults (≥ 20 years old). The preference for purchasing generic drugs was the main outcome. The explanatory variables were the demographic and socioeconomic variables. Statistical analyses included Poisson regressions.RESULTSThe preference for purchasing generic drugs was 63.2% (95%CI 61.4–64.9). The variables correlated with this preference in the fully adjusted models were: male (prevalence ratio [PR] = 1.08; 95%CI 1.03–1.14), age of 20–39 years (PR = 1.10; 95%CI 1.02–1.20), low socioeconomic status (PR = 1.15; 95%CI 1.03–1.28), and good knowledge about generic drugs (PR= 4.66; 95%CI 2.89–7.52). Among those who preferred to purchase generic drugs, 55.1% have reported accepting to replace the prescribed drug (if not a generic) with the equivalent generic drug. Another correlate of the preference for purchasing generic drugs was because individuals consider their quality equivalent to reference medicines (PR = 2.15; 95%CI 1.93–2.41).CONCLUSIONSKnowledge about generic drugs was the main correlate of the preference for purchasing generic drugs. The greater the knowledge or positive perception about generic drugs, the greater is the preference to purchase them. Therefore, educational campaigns for healthcare professionals and consumers appear to be the best strategy for expanding the use of generic drugs in Brazil.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors influencing the preference for purchasing generic drugs in a Southern Brazilian city

et al. 2017

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“…1 Consequently, pharmaceuticals, as an important component of the health system, have dramatically increased the cost of health care systems. 2 Moreover, the cost of pharmaceutical products has rapidly grown in recent years owing to the higher cost of production as well as research & development (R&D). Indeed, the expenditure of pharmaceutical products has become a challenging issue for governments and patients.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Generic substitution policy implementation: A pharmacists' perspective survey

Yousefi

Mehralian

Peiravian

et al. 2015

Journal of Generic Medicines

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Objective Pharmaceutical expenditures have increasingly grown in the past decades, prompting policy makers to pay more and more attention to developing such strategies as generic substitution to deal with this challenging issue. Community pharmacists whose recommendations have a strong influence on consumers’ decisions can play a pivotal role in the success of the strategy of dispensing generic medicines. Considering the aforementioned issue, it is imperative to evaluate pharmacists’ perception of generic substitution alongside their perception of the roles of patients, physicians, and government in this regard. Methods A cross-sectional descriptive study involving pharmacists working in Tehran community pharmacies (2000) was performed, using a self-administrated anonymous questionnaire. Key findings A total of 1208 questionnaires were returned, which provides a response rate of 60%. According to responses, 43% of the participants believed that generic medicines are bioequivalent to branded medicines, and the majority of the respondents (71.6%) stated that they do substitution if generic medicine is available. However, more than half of the respondents do not believe in the efficacy of generic medicines. In addition, they think that patients, physicians, and government have important roles in generic substitution. The government in particular plays a pivotal role as far as implementing different pharmaceutical policies are concerned. Conclusions The results indicated that Iranian pharmacists have good insights regarding the implementation and promotion of a generic substitution strategy; thus, they need the support of patients, physicians, and government to increase the utilization of generic medicines.

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“…Based on decisions made by pharmacists and patients, pharmacists in Iran can legally substitute generics for brand name drugs, but such substitution is not mandatory [7]. In recent years in Iran, total health expenditures increased, but the public sector share of pharmaceutical expenditures decreased [8]; the increasing trend of the use of brand name drugs has led to an increase in patients' out-of-pocket expenses to [60 % of total health costs [9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Physicians’ perceptions of generic medicine in Iran

Yousefi

Mehralian

Peiravian

et al. 2015

Drugs Ther Perspect

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Objective The aim of this cross-sectional descriptive study was to evaluate Iranian physicians' perception of generic medicines and evaluate its relationship with their demographic characteristics, as well as some other underlying factors. Methods A self-administered questionnaire was used to evaluate the perceptions of physicians in Iran with regard to generic medicines. The questionnaire included three general questions covering physicians' beliefs and attitudes toward generic substitution, and 18 questions relating to physicians' perceptions about generic medicines with regard to their efficacy, safety, cost containment, patient acceptance, marketing, and the role of government. Respondents' demographic characteristics and other background data were also collected. Results The analysis of 410 completed questionnaires indicated that [70 % of Iranian physicians prefer to prescribe generic medicines if they are assured that the generic products are equivalent to the brand name drugs. However, they do not believe that the safety and efficacy of generic and brand medicines are equivalent, especially when the medicine is produced domestically. Moreover, physicians mostly disagreed with the right of pharmacists to substitute generic medicines. According to the six dimensions of the administered questionnaire, the most important factor affecting the prescribing of generics is the government's efforts in sharing evidence and training the public, followed by cost containment size, beliefs in the efficacy and safety of generic medicines, patient acceptance and marketing activities. Conclusion In Iran, physicians, the main decision makers regarding drug selection, do not have positive perceptions relating to the efficacy and safety of generic medicines, especially with regard to domestically produced generics. Therefore, the government appears to have a very critical role in informing the public and health professionals on the safety and efficacy of generic medicines.

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Consumers’ perception of generic substitution in Iran

Abstract: In conclusion, the trust of Iranian's society on the physicians and pharmacists advice would create a credible opportunity to reduce pharmaceutical expenditures as well as patients' out of pocket by promotion of generic substitution.

Cited by 17 publications

References 31 publications

Factors influencing the preference for purchasing generic drugs in a Southern Brazilian city

Factors influencing the preference for purchasing generic drugs in a Southern Brazilian city

Generic substitution policy implementation: A pharmacists' perspective survey

Physicians’ perceptions of generic medicine in Iran

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