Does educational intervention improve doctors’ knowledge and perceptions of generic medicines and their generic prescribing rate? A study from Malaysia

Abstract

Objectives:To investigate the impact of an educational intervention on doctors’ knowledge and perceptions towards generic medicines and their generic (international non-proprietary name) prescribing practice.Methods:This is a single-cohort pre-/post-intervention pilot study. The study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital in Perak, Malaysia. All doctors from the internal medicine department were invited to participate in the educational intervention. The intervention consisted of an interactive lecture, an educational booklet and a drug list. Doctors’ knowledge and perceptions were assessed by using a validated questionnaire, while the international non-proprietary name prescribing practice was assessed by screening the prescription before and after the intervention.Results:The intervention was effective in improving doctors’ knowledge towards bioequivalence, similarity of generic medicines and safety standards required for generic medicine registration (p = 0.034, p = 0.034 and p = 0.022, respectively). In terms of perceptions towards generic medicines, no significant changes were noted (p > 0.05). Similarly, no impact on international non-proprietary name prescribing practice was observed after the intervention (p > 0.05).Conclusion:Doctors had inadequate knowledge and misconceptions about generic medicines before the intervention. Moreover, international non-proprietary name prescribing was not a common practice. However, the educational intervention was only effective in improving doctors’ knowledge of generic medicines.

Exploring the Knowledge and Perception of Generic Medicines among Final Year Undergraduate Medical, Pharmacy, and Nursing Students in Sierra Leone: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Approach

“…The use of an audio–visual educational package advocated in a Malaysian study [ 24 ] is also recommended to be adopted in the healthcare training institutions of Sierra Leone, as it is expected to critically appraise students about generics and their promotion in professional practice. Other educational interventions could include an interactive lecture that specifically covers topics such as bioequivalence, regulatory requirements for market authorization of generic medicine in Sierra Leone, generic medicine facts, and the promotion of rational prescribing and dispensing using generic medicines [ 25 ]. The distribution of reference materials to students such as a booklet that contains basic facts about generic medicines as well as a list of the generic names of commonly prescribed and dispensed medicines is also an educational intervention that helps improve knowledge among students [ 25 ].…”

To study doctor’s beliefs, barriers, awareness, and actual practices regarding use of generic medicines

“…This result is not consistent with the survey amongst General practitioners of Malaysia and Australia which indicated a high generic prescribing rate, but consistent with the similar study in Pakistan, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia. 18,[21][22][23][24][25][26] This may be probably due to the geographical differences in the attitude of RMPs. However, it did not even comply with the study conducted in Tamilnadu.…”

Knowledge and perceptions of physicians from private medical centres towards generic medicines: a nationwide survey from Malaysia

“…in the UK, Lithuania and Estonia) [ 50 ]. This is important given that INN prescribing is currently not a common practice in Malaysia [ 55 ]. More importantly, from other countries experiences, it is evident that a combination of measures is needed to promote utilization of generic medicines rather than a single measure [ 49 , 51 , 54 ].…”