Knowledge, Attitude and Perception of Community Pharmacists about Generic Medicines: A Pilot Observational Study

Abstract

Background: Healthcare expenses are increasing at an alarming rate. Companies usually increase the cost of their brands to compensate drug development process. But it is very difficult for the poor to afford such expensive medicines. Here, generic drugs come into play to act as the best substitute for various brands after patent expiry. Community pharmacist plays a major role in promoting generic drug utilization and performs generic substitution wherever possible to reduce healthcare expenditures.Objectives: To assess knowledge, attitude, and perception of community pharmacists towards generic drugs.Methods: This study was conducted in Jalandhar city of Punjab, India. A total of 60 community pharmacists were involved in this observational study. A questionnaire was designed which consisted of total 25 objective-type questions and divided into three sections. The pharmacists’ responses were recorded and analyzed using SPSS (Statistical package for social sciences) version 16.Result: Out of 60 participants, most pharmacists (90%) were male and Diploma in Pharmacy holder. The mean (±SD) knowledge score was 6.4 (±3.7). The majority (46.7%) of participants agreed that generic drug substitution is a good practice. But some participants had a wrong perception about the quality of generic drugs; around 30% agreed that generic drugs are cheaper due to inferior quality.Conclusion: Overall, participants have basic knowledge and a positive attitude towards generic drugs. However, some participants have misconceptions about the quality of generic drugs. Therefore, pharmacists must have in-depth information to promote generic drug utilization and substitution to reduce healthcare expenses.