Abstract
Background: The promotion of generic medicines in developing nation like India plays a crucial role in the availability of essential drugs for everyone. The main objective of this survey is to understand the knowledge and perception of the pharmacy student about generic medicine along with its safety and efficacy profile. Methods: The web-based cross-sectional study was carried out from September 2020 to February 2021 utilizing the Google form. The google form had four questionnaire sections, i.e., socio-demographic section, overall knowledge section, knowledge regarding safety and efficacy section, and perception section. Results: Most students believe they require additional knowledge regarding how bioequivalence tests are performed for generic drugs. Of 463 students, 419 students (88%) agrees generic medicine is cheaper than branded medicines, and 339 students (73%) agrees wider use of generic medicines in India helps in decreasing health care cost whereas 215 students (45%) are not aware generics are only marketed after the patent expiry of the branded medicine. Of 441 students, 127 students (27%) wrongly agree that generic medicines are less effective than branded medicine, and 196 students (43%) wrongly agree that generic medicine costs less because they are inferior to branded medicine. Most pharmacy students believe doctors and patients should be given enough knowledge about generic medicine and that branded medicine use is influenced by advertisements. Conclusion: This study concludes that there is a gap in knowledge among pharmacy students about generic medicine. The responsible authorities should establish relevant curriculum revisions to increase students’ knowledge about generic medications.
Highlights
Medicines have been utilized throughout human history, but with the growth of knowledge, allopathic medicine has surpassed the limitations of traditional medicine
This study aims to understand pharmacy students’ perception and knowledge on the differences between branded drugs and generic drugs and on the safety, efficacy, and other details regarding generic medicines
Of 463 responses, 419 students (88%) agree that generic medicines are economical compared to the branded medicine, whereas 25 students (5%) were unaware of this fact, and 19 students (3%) disagreed
Summary
Medicines have been utilized throughout human history, but with the growth of knowledge, allopathic medicine has surpassed the limitations of traditional medicine. In India, only 42% of the population is admitted to public hospitals and 95% is treated with allopathic medicine, despite the fact that one-fifth of the population lives below the national poverty line.[6] Due to the country’s higher proportion of middle-class and poor people, the use of branded medicines increases the cost of the drugs, imposing an additional economic burden on the poor and middle-class. In low- and middle-income nations, pharmaceuticals account for between 20% and 60% of overall health spending.[4] it is critical to promote generic medicines to increase accessibility, thereby lowering the cost of health care in India. The main objective of this survey is to understand the knowledge and perception of the pharmacy student about generic medicine along with its safety and efficacy profile.
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