Pharmacists’ knowledge, familiarity, and attitudes towards biosimilar drugs among practicing Jordanian pharmacists: A cross sectional study

Abstract

ObjectiveBiosimilar (BSM) drugs are currently being manufactured and dispensed in several pharmaceutical markets worldwide, including Jordan. They are clinically similar to biological drugs in terms of safety, purity, and potency, but with lower cost, hence they are of great interest. Pharmacists play a fundamental role as health care providers, due to their direct contact with patients, in terms of providing information and guidance about BSM drugs and their use for patients. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, familiarity, and attitude with BSM drugs among practicing Jordanian pharmacists. Materials and MethodsA questionnaire which was composed of 25 close-ended questions, was distributed via email and various social media applications to Jordanian pharmacists working in different fields. ResultsA total of 400 pharmacists responded to the questionnaire. Overall, the level of knowledge and familiarity about BSM drugs among Jordanian pharmacists was low, as 75% of the respondents had a knowledge score of 66.7%. Poor knowledge was noticed in terms of variability of biological drug formulation lots and the BSM drug, the approval process of BSM drugs, and their cost, with correct answers of the respondents being 30.8%, 16%, and 7.5%, respectively. Nevertheless, the attitude of respondents towards BSM drug dispensing, and increasing patients’ access to a variety of treatment options (73.8% and 82.3%, respectively) was rather favorable. ConclusionsThe results of our study recognized three knowledge gaps: the variability between the biological drug formulation lots and the BSM drug, the cost of biological and BSM drugs, and understanding the approval process of biological and BSM drugs. So, these findings highlight a significant need for evidence-based education about BSM drugs among Jordanian pharmacists.