Abstract
BackgroundGeneric drugs (GDs) offer a way to reduce health spending without sacrificing quality. Despite this, there are doubts as to their acceptance by the population. This work aims to assess perceptions of GDs among the Brazilian population.MethodsWe conducted a national household survey face-to-face between April and May 2013, with 5000 individuals aged over 15 years. The questions explored socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, the use of GDs, and perceptions about GDs as compared to brand drugs (BDs). The chi-square test was used to examine the associations between the perceptions and the characteristics of the population.ResultsOf the 5000 participants, 51.3% were women, 40.2% were white, 48.6% were between 15 and 34 years of age, and 52.3% had income of less than two minimum wages (US$627.78). In terms of the use of GDs, 44.6% of the participants were taking or had taken GDs in the past three months, with the highest figures among the elderly (61.1%) and female (49.2%) populations. Regarding perceptions, 30.4% of the respondents considered GDs less effective than BDs; provided the same price, 59% would prefer BD, and 45.8% agreed that physicians prefer to prescribe GDs. The most negative perceptions about GDs were observed among lower income, elderly and nonwhite populations.ConclusionThe findings provide a better understanding of Brazilians’ perceptions regarding GDs. This should be considered when formulating healthcare policies aiming at improving access to effective and quality drugs, and reduction of health costs.
Highlights
Generic drugs (GDs) offer a way to reduce health spending without sacrificing quality
The findings indicate an underuse of GDs, with 41% of the participants agreeing with the statement “Generic drugs are more suitable or appropriate than brand name drugs for mild, banal or less serious diseases”
Our findings demonstrate that the majority of participants have a positive attitude towards GDs, there is a considerable percentage who expressed concerns about these drugs, the older, low income and nonwhite populations
Summary
Generic drugs (GDs) offer a way to reduce health spending without sacrificing quality. There are doubts as to their acceptance by the population. This work aims to assess perceptions of GDs among the Brazilian population. Among low-income families, this proportion is as high as 74.2% [1]. In this context, generic drugs (GDs) offer a good alternative for reducing out-of-pocket spending by families, without sacrificing product safety or quality. GDs were approved by the National Drug Policy, in October 1998, as a means of promoting rational use of medicines [2]. While ensuring safety and quality, the GD policy aimed to provide
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