Generic Acceptance Research Articles

Machine learning analysis of patients’ perceptions towards generic medication in Greece: a survey-based study

Introduction:This survey-based study investigates Greek patients’ perceptions and attitudes towards generic drugs, aiming to identify factors influencing the acceptance and market penetration of generics in Greece. Despite the acknowledged cost-saving potential of generic medication, skepticism among patients remains a barrier to their widespread adoption.Methods:Between February 2017 and June 2021, a mixed-methods approach was employed, combining descriptive statistics with advanced machine learning models (Logistic Regression, Support Vector Machine, Random Forest, Gradient Boosting, and XGBoost) to analyze responses from 2,617 adult participants. The study focused on optimizing these models through extensive hyperparameter tuning to predict patient willingness to switch to a generic medication.Results:The analysis revealed healthcare providers as the primary information source about generics for patients. Significant differences in perceptions were observed across demographic groups, with machine learning models successfully identifying key predictors for the acceptance of generic drugs, including patient knowledge and healthcare professional influence. The Random Forest model demonstrated the highest accuracy and was selected as the most suitable for this dataset.Discussion:The findings underscore the critical role of informed healthcare providers in influencing patient attitudes towards generics. Despite the study’s focus on Greece, the insights have broader implications for enhancing generic drug acceptance globally. Limitations include reliance on convenience sampling and self-reported data, suggesting caution in generalizing results.

Investigating the social embeddedness of criminal groups: Longitudinal associations between masculine honour and legitimizing attitudes towards the Camorra

AbstractThe embeddedness of criminal groups within communities accrues from their ability to establish legitimacy, particularly among young people. A prototypical example are mafia claims to political authority in Italy. Intracultural Appropriation Theory proposes that embeddedness is partly derived from criminal groups’ ability to embody cultural ideologies of masculine honour, and to reinforce these ideologies in society through their actions. We tested these propositions using a three‐wave longitudinal design involving Italian adolescents from the Campania region (N1stwave = 1,173). We also examined an alternative explanation rooted in individuals’ generic acceptance of group‐based hierarchies, i.e., social dominance orientation. The longitudinal design enabled us to examine for the first time both between‐ and within‐person processes. Between‐person results indicated that higher levels of the masculine honour ideology and social dominance were associated with stronger legitimizing attitudes towards the Camorra, a mafia‐type group. Within‐person effects revealed a positive reciprocal association between masculine honour and legitimizing attitudes. These findings emphasize the importance of culture‐specific ideologies in sustaining the legitimacy of criminal groups.

LTL to self-loop alternating automata with generic acceptance and back

Self-loop alternating automata (SLAA) with Büchi or co-Büchi acceptance are popular formalisms also known as very weak alternating automata (VWAA). They are often used as an intermediate results in translations of LTL to deterministic or nondeterministic automata. This paper considers SLAA with generic transition-based Emerson-Lei acceptance and presents translations of LTL to these automata and back. Importantly, the translation of LTL to SLAA with generic acceptance produces considerably smaller automata than previous translations of LTL to Büchi or co-Büchi SLAA. Our translation is already implemented in the tool ltl3tela, where it helps to produce small deterministic or nondeterministic transition-based Emerson-Lei automata for given LTL formulae.

Impact of interventions to promote the use of generic drugs: a systematic review.

The need to increase access to medicines, coupled with the limited acceptance of generics has sparked the search for effective interventions to promote it. This systematic review aimed to conduct a survey on interventions to promote the use of generic drugs and its impact. Randomized clinical trials, non-randomized controlled trials, controlled before-after studies and interrupted time series were included. The analysis of the impact of interventions and quality of evidence followed Cochrane's guidelines. Impact of interventions was rated from "very large" to "very small" and the quality of evidence was rated from "high" to "very low". Seventeen papers addressing prescribers, pharmacists and users were selected. There were educational, financial incentives and use of electronic prescription and managerial interventions. Interventions applied to prescribers had little to medium impact, with very low-to-low quality evidence. Interventions applied to pharmacists had small impact with very low quality evidence. Interventions applied to users had medium and large impact with very low-to-low quality evidence. Further studies with good quality addressing interventions are required.

What Do Users of Generic Medicines Think of Them? A Systematic Review of Consumers' and Patients' Perceptions of, and Experiences with, Generic Medicines.

Considerable emphasis is placed on the use of generic medicines because of the potential economic benefits associated with their use. The objective of this systematic review is to compile and collate published research regarding patient/consumer perceptions and attitudes in relation to generic medicines, aiming to describe such views and detail patient experiences with generic medicines. Literature published between 2005 and July 2015, indexed in PubMed, Scopus and EMBASE, on the topic of consumer or patient opinions of generic medicines were collated, using systematic searches, and appraised. A total of 59 papers were reviewed. Familiarity and trust in brand names appears to be a substantial barrier to the increased use of generics, with patients also appearing to hold the view that if a product is cheaper, then it must not be as good. Some publications report positive views of generics, with positively inclined consumers stating that they did not perceive any difference between a generic and the proprietary medicine. Acceptance of generics appears to be higher in consumers with higher levels of education while patients from lower socioeconomic demographic groups tend to have greater mistrust of generics. The provision of information to consumers that dispels myths about generics may improve confidence in generic medicines. As patients demonstrate a high degree of trust in physicians, their opinions can impact on patient/consumer opinions. Therefore, enhancing the perceptions of generics held by physicians is likely to have a positive impact on patient/consumer opinions of, and trust in, generic medications.

What do people really think of generic medicines? A systematic review and critical appraisal of literature on stakeholder perceptions of generic drugs.

BackgroundConsiderable emphasis is presently being placed on usage of generic medicines by governments focussed on the potential economic benefits associated with their use. Concurrently, there is increasing discussion in the lay media of perceived doubts regarding the quality and equivalence of generic medicines. The objective of this paper is to report the outcomes of a systematic search for peer-reviewed, published studies that focus on physician, pharmacist and patient/consumer perspectives of generic medicines.MethodsLiterature published between January 2003 and November 2014, which is indexed in PubMed and Scopus, on the topic of opinions of physicians, pharmacists and patients with respect to generic medicines was searched, and articles within the scope of this review were appraised. Search keywords used included perception, opinion, attitude and view, along with keywords specific to each cohort.ResultsFollowing review of titles and abstracts to identify publications relevant to the scope, 16 papers on physician opinions, 11 papers on pharmacist opinions and 31 papers on patient/consumer opinions were included in this review. Quantitative studies (n = 37) were the most common approach adopted by researchers, generally in the form of self-administered questionnaires/surveys. Qualitative methodologies (n = 15) were also reported, albeit in fewer cases. In all three cohorts, opinions of generic medicines have improved but some mistrust remains, most particularly in the patient group where there appears to be a strongly held belief that less expensive equals lower quality. Acceptance of generics appears to be higher in consumers with higher levels of education while patients from lower socioeconomic demographic groups, hence generally having lower levels of education, tend to have greater mistrust of generics.ConclusionsA key factor in improving confidence in generic products is the provision of information and education, particularly in the areas of equivalency, regulation and dispelling myths about generic medicines (such as the belief that they are counterfeits). Further, as patient trust in their physician often overrules their personal mistrust of generic medicines, enhancing the opinions of physicians regarding generics may have particular importance in strategies to promote usage and acceptance of generic medicines in the future.

Integrated marketing communication: making it work at a strategic level

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe, review and critique the concept of integrated marketing communications (IMCs) and to suggest ways forward conceptually and managerially. Design/methodology/approach – This paper critically reviews the emergence, growth and current status of IMC. Findings – As the authors consider IMC diffusion in business practice, its generic acceptance in terms of theory and obstacles or difficulties standing in the way of further developments, this leads to positioning IMC more ably, strengthening its theoretical foundations, critiquing its contribution so far and assessing conceptual and managerial issues. Research limitations/implications – As a critical review, the authors draw upon data from wide variety of academic IMC research. However, there is an identifiable specific need for in-company empirical research. Practical implications – Where IMC is applied in a strategic way, with a view to creating synergy among the different marketing communication elements to achieve short- and long-term returns, the approach can be and is associated with greater consistency among messages and functions, and leads to cost savings, easier working relations between different departments, better utilisation of media and promotional mix elements, together with greater efficiency and enhanced returns. Originality/value – The value of the paper lies in its detailed review of the literature, IMC’s significance in terms of conceptualisation and business practice, and underlines the need for further in-company research.

South African patient's acceptance of generic drugs.

Access to therapeutic drugs form an integral part of any successful healthcare system. The high cost of drugs, however, remains a barrier to accessibility and improved health to the majority of the South African population1. The promotion of generic drug consumption could potentially be an important cost-saving mechanism in this regard for final consumers, insurance providers, and government. In 2001, the South African government subsequently passed the law which allows generic substitution of branded medicines with generics, provided that the patient approves of the substitution. In the discussion over the use of generic drugs, patient perceptions have often been neglected. Currently very little knowledge exists on the perception and attitudes of South African citizens with regard to the use of generic drugs. An appraisal of the available literature suggests that although patients do not completely have a negative opinion of generic drugs and acceptance is growing, there still exists room for improving perceptions. Similar to several international studies, the South African patient's acceptance of generics is influenced by age, educational level, perceived seriousness of illness, generic drug information, and doctor and pharmacist perceptions. In general, participants with lower incomes and participants with lower levels of education held poorer attitudes toward generic drugs2. Individuals with tertiary education were found to have a more positive attitude toward generics than individuals with no tertiary education3. Patients often confuse “generic brands” of therapeutic drugs with counterfeit products especially due to the cost difference associated with these products. Free generic medication issued by the public health facilities are viewed as inferior, treated with suspicion and regarded as being of poor quality4. There are however citizens who view drug quality as product attributes and expected consequences of taking a particular medicine. Irrespective of whether the drug was a generic, original, supplied for free or purchased from a pharmacy, the drug was considered good quality provided that it treated the symptoms. Studies also consistently show that, participants frequently have very little understanding of generic medicines. Most patients are not adequately informed about the difference or similarities between original and generic drugs by healthcare providers. Additionally patients feel that they have limited influence in the choice of generic substitution. Patients with increased level of education, and those who received proper counselling, were found to be more accepting of generic substitution and tended to view generic drugs as a valuable reform. Patients would be more inclined to choose a generic drug if the decision was supported by their doctor rather than the recommendation of the pharmacist. The use of generic drugs to treat chronic diseases is also received with mixed acceptance. Certain groups of patients viewed the cost saving benefit very positively. South African patients also related quality to the ability of the medication to do what it was prescribed to do. Therefore drugs that treated their symptoms - whether generic or original - were fully accepted provided they fulfilled their role. On the other hand, there were also patients who were not accepting of generics to treat chronic conditions, as they viewed them as inferior, and likely to have greater side effects than original drugs. Some of the concerns amongst chronic drug users were with regard to reduced effect of the drug or new or increased side effects. In addition, chronically ill patients who take several drugs for longer periods of time admitted to feeling unsettled - particularly when being offered different generics each time they purchase their medication. The effect of brand to generic and generic to generic switches leads to intentional non-adherence in erroneous use. This is especially problematic with medication classes that have narrow therapeutic margin like anti-epileptics.

Consumers' perception of generic substitution in Iran.

The growth of pharmaceutical expenditure and patients' out of pocket has motivated policy makers to encourage patients to substitution of brands medicines with their generic alternatives called generic substitution. As the patients are final decision makers to accept generic substitution, the aim of this study is to evaluate the patient perception about generic medicines and underlying factors which can promote the generic acceptance. The study was done in community pharmacies in Tehran, the capital city of Iran. A cross-sectional descriptive study inviting people purchasing their drug at community pharmacies were per-formed using a self-administrated anonymous questionnaire (N=1309). Besides the demographic section, 16 items of developed questionnaire were categorized to five main factors including: patients' perception about efficiency, safety and cost of generic medicines, patient trust on physicians and pharmacists' advice. Findings of completed questionnaires showed among the aforementioned factors the physician has the first priority to encourage patients to use of generics medicines which followed respectively by pharmacist's role, cost of medicines, efficacy, and safety concerns. In conclusion, the trust of Iranian's society on the physicians and pharmacists advice would create a credible opportunity to reduce pharmaceutical expenditures as well as patients' out of pocket by promotion of generic substitution.

Perception of antiretroviral generic medicines: one-day survey of HIV-infected patients and their physicians in France.

BackgroundIn the interest of cost effectiveness, switching antiretroviral brand name medications to generics is recommended in France since 2013. The study objective was to evaluate the perception of generics per se and antiretroviral generics in HIV-infected patients and their hospital physiciansMethods and Findings556 out of 703 (79%) adult HIV+ outpatients and 116 physicians in 33 clinics were included in a multicentric cross-sectional survey performed in September 2013. Patients completed a self-questionnaire on their perception and acceptability of generics. Physicians completed a questionnaire on their acceptability of switching antiretroviral to generic. Socio-demographic data, medical history and HIV history were collected. Among the 556 patients with a median HIV duration of 13 years, 77% were France native, 59% in active employment, 100% covered by social insurance, 95% on antiretroviral therapy. Seventy-six percent of the patients accepted generics and 55% trusted them overall. Antiretroviral generics were accepted by 44% of them but only by 17% if the pill burden was going to increase. The factor significantly associated with acceptability of antiretroviral generics was acceptance of generics per se (p<0.001). Among the 116 physicians following a median of 100 HIV-patients/year, 75% would prescribe generics, dropping to 26% if the combo had to be broken. Factors significantly associated with willingness to prescribe antiretroviral generics were the absence of concern regarding the chemical entity (OR = 0.33), being aware that the patient would accept generics for other pathologies (OR = 2.04) and would accept antiretroviral generics (OR = 1.94). No factor related to sociodemographic conditions, HIV status or comorbidities was associated with the acceptability of antiretroviral generics.ConclusionsAcceptability of antiretroviral generics in this French population was mostly dictated by the patient’s and physician’s knowledge and use of generics overall. It should be improved with an efficient information of both patients and physicians.

Brand loyalty, patients and limited generic medicines uptake

The sluggish development of European generic drug markets depends heavily on demand side factors, and more specifically, patients’ and doctors’ loyalty to branded products. Loyalty to originator drugs, to the point where originator prices rise upon generic entry has been described as the ‘generics paradox’. Originator loyalty can emerge for a plethora of reasons; including costs, perceptions about quality and physician advice. We know very little about the behavioural underpinnings of brand loyalty from the consumer or patient standpoint. This paper attempts to test the extent to which patients are brand loyal by drawing upon Spain's 2002 Health Barometer survey as it includes questions about consumer acceptance of generics in a country with exceptionally low generic uptake and substitution at the time of the study. Our findings suggest that at least 13% of the population would not accept generics as substitutes to the originator. These results confirm evidence of brand loyalty for a minority. Alongside high levels of awareness of generics, we find that low cost-sharing levels explain consumer brand loyalty but their impact on acceptance of generic substitution is very small. Higher cost-sharing and exempting fewer patients from cost-sharing have the potential to encourage generic acceptance.

Effective acceptance conditions in real-time automated negotiation

In every negotiation with a deadline, one of the negotiating parties must accept an offer to avoid a break off. As a break off is usually an undesirable outcome for both parties, it is important that a negotiator employs a proficient mechanism to decide under which conditions to accept. When designing such conditions, one is faced with the acceptance dilemma: accepting the current offer may be suboptimal, as better offers may still be presented before time runs out. On the other hand, accepting too late may prevent an agreement from being reached, resulting in a break off with no gain for either party. Motivated by the challenges of bilateral negotiations between automated agents and by the results and insights of the automated negotiating agents competition (ANAC), we classify and compare state-of-the-art generic acceptance conditions. We perform extensive experiments to compare the performance of various acceptance conditions in combination with a broad range of bidding strategies and negotiation scenarios. Furthermore we propose new acceptance conditions and we demonstrate that they outperform the other conditions. We also provide insight into why some conditions work better than others and investigate correlations between the properties of the negotiation scenario and the efficacy of acceptance conditions.

Long-Term Treatment Acceptance

Understanding the link between patients' beliefs and behavior may help explain their attitude to their treatment. How patients' personal experience of their treatment results in their decision to accept taking it or not and to persist in taking it remains to be explored more thoroughly. Acceptance is hypothesized to be the balance patients establish between their medication's advantages and its disadvantages, based on their personal experience with the medication. Measuring patients' acceptance of their medication is likely to predict their behavior (adherence and persistence) towards their treatment. Our objective was to develop a generic medication acceptance measure assessing how patients weigh advantages and disadvantages of long-term medications. A literature review was conducted using keywords related to acceptance, perceptions, motivations, and barriers linked to treatment. Exploratory interviews were performed with five pharmacists and 19 patients. Interviews were systematically analyzed in order to complete the initial conceptual model. Questionnaire items were generated for each concept identified, using patients' words. The resulting test version was tested for relevance and comprehension with six patients and revised accordingly; the new version was tested on a second set of five patients and revised to create the pilot version of the questionnaire. Items generated for each concept identified were organized into six domains: drug characteristics, duration, constraints, side effects, efficacy, and global acceptance of treatment. Except for a few items that were modified or deleted following patients' suggestions and some minor modifications in the answer choices, the questionnaire was globally well accepted, easy to complete, and considered relevant and appropriate by patients. The pilot version of the ACCEPT© questionnaire contains 32 questions divided into the same six domains as the test version. The existence of the hypothesized concept of medication acceptance was confirmed. The ACCEPT© questionnaire will allow assessment of the acceptance of a wide range of long-term medications based on patient experience. Further study will examine how well this measure predicts and explains adherence to these medications.

Transfer of analytical procedures: A panel of strategies selected for risk management, with emphasis on an integrated equivalence-based comparative testing approach

In 2001, a multidisciplinary team made of analytical scientists and statisticians at sanofi-aventis has published a methodology which has governed, from that time, the transfers from R&D sites to Manufacturing sites of the release monographs. This article provides an overview of the recent adaptations brought to this original methodology taking advantage of our experience and the new regulatory framework, and, in particular, the risk management perspective introduced by ICH Q9. Although some alternate strategies have been introduced in our practices, the comparative testing one, based equivalence testing as statistical approach, remains the standard for assays lying on very critical quality attributes. This is conducted with the concern to control the most important consumer's risk involved at two levels in analytical decisions in the frame of transfer studies: risk, for the receiving laboratory, to take poor release decisions with the analytical method and risk, for the sending laboratory, to accredit such a receiving laboratory on account of its insufficient performances with the method. Among the enhancements to the comparative studies, the manuscript presents the process settled within our company for a better integration of the transfer study into the method life-cycle, just as proposals of generic acceptance criteria and designs for assay and related substances methods. While maintaining rigor and selectivity of the original approach, these improvements tend towards an increased efficiency in the transfer operations.

A decentralized coordination method for optimal load redistribution in heterogeneous service grids

The optimal load redistribution problem is solved in this paper for heterogeneous non-dedicated service grids in a decentralized way. A coordination policy is proposed to make networked servers reach their optimal generic task acceptance rates in order to minimize the average service time of all the generic tasks in a grid. Autonomous servers networked in the grid only need to coordinate with their neighbors iteratively, and their optimal generic acceptance rates are reached by task migration among them. The design scheme of the policy is introduced, and the convergence properties and the implementation aspects of the coordination system are discussed in detail in this paper. A set of computer simulations have been conducted, validating the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Generic medicines: perceptions of consumers in Melbourne, Australia

AbstractObjectiveThe objective of this study was to explore consumers' perceptions and opinions of generic medicines and to identify barriers to their use of generic medicines.MethodA qualitative approach was used. A purposive sample of consumers, aged 22–80 years, living in the Melbourne, Australia, metropolitan area were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide.Key findingsSixteen consumers were interviewed. Thematic content analysis of the interviews identified four major themes: knowledge about generic medicines, acceptance of generics, non-acceptance of generics, and education needs pertaining to generic medicine use. In terms of knowledge, some consumers were not familiar with the term ‘generic medicines’, but were more familiar with the term ‘cheaper brand of medicine’. The major reason for acceptance of generic medicines among the consumers interviewed was cost. Positive encouragement from the healthcare providers was seen to influence generic medicine uptake by consumers. The major barriers to acceptance included influence from medical practitioners, side-effects from generic brands, and confusion that may arise from using different brands. To encourage future uptake of generics by consumers, some of the respondents recommended that education strategies be implemented by healthcare practitioners and governmental agencies to educate people on the safety and efficacy of generic medicines.ConclusionsThis study indicated that consumers interviewed generally had positive attitudes towards the use of generic medicines. The findings also suggest that direct patient education by the healthcare providers on issues relating to safety and efficacy of generic medicines could further enhance their uptake.

Sensitivity to anomalous quartic gauge couplings in photon-photon interactions at the LHC

The exclusive two-photon production at the LHC of pairs of W and Z bosons provides a novel and unique test-ground for the electroweak gauge boson sector. In particular it offers, thanks to high gamma-gamma center-of-mass energies, large and direct sensitivity to the anomalous quartic gauge couplings otherwise very difficult to investigate at the LHC. An initial analysis has been performed assuming leptonic decays and generic acceptance cuts. Simulation of a simple counting experiment has shown for the integrated luminosity of 10 fb-1 at least four thousand times larger sensitivity to the genuine quartic couplings, a_0^W, a_0^Z, a_C^W and a_C^Z, than those obtained at LEP. The impact of the unitarity constraints on the estimated limits has been studied using the dipole form-factors. Finally, differential distributions of the decay leptons have been provided to illustrate the potential for further improvements of the sensitivities. Comment: 8 pages and 11 figures, Contribution to the CERN workshop on High energy photon collisions at the LHC, 22-25 April 2008

Processing of soybean (Glycine max) extracts in aqueous two‐phase systems as a first step for the potential recovery of recombinant proteins

AbstractBACKGROUND: The potential use of plants as production systems to establish bioprocesses has been established over the past decade. However, the lack of efficient initial concentration and separation procedures affect the generic acceptance of plants as economically viable systems. In this context the use of aqueous two‐phase systems (ATPS) can provide strategies to facilitate the adoption of plants as a base for bioprocesses. Among the crops, soybeans (Glycine max) represent an attractive alternative since potentially they can produce high levels of recombinant protein. In this paper the processing of fractionated soybean extracts using ATPS is evaluated as a first step to recover recombinant proteins expressed in plants, using β‐glucuronidase (GUS; E.C. 3.2.1.31) as a model protein.RESULTS: The evaluation of the effect of system parameters provided the conditions under which the contaminant proteins from fractionated soybean extracts and GUS concentrated in opposite phases. A PEG 600/phosphate system comprising 14.5% (w/w) polyethylene‐glycol (PEG), 17.5% (w/w) phosphate, a volume ratio (Vr) equal to 1.0, and a system pH of 7.0 resulted in the potential 83% recovery of GUS from the complex mixture and an increase in purity of 4.5‐fold after ATPS.CONCLUSIONS: The findings reported here demonstrate the potential of ATPS to process fractionated soybean extract as a first step to isolate and purify a recombinant protein expressed in soybeans. The proposed approach can simplify the way in which recombinant proteins expressed in plants can be recovered. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry

A volume-based mapping method for parameter estimation in multi-stage material processing

Current emphasis on affordability and sustainability of manufacturing systems creates a need for new material process design methods that consider alternative materials and processes. The advent of low-cost, high-performance computing has enabled a generic acceptance of powerful computational tools such as finite element analysis (FEA) for analysis purposes. The large number of computations required by a high accuracy FEA simulation makes an optimization-based design technique that is built around FEA simulations almost prohibitive. Alternative simpler techniques are needed at the initial design stages in order to predict the most important characteristics of the material behavior during processing in a small fraction of time taken by an FEA run. The technique presented in this paper describes a volume-based mapping method for the parameter estimation in forging operations. The method can produce the deformed geometry and important process parameters such as strain and strain rate in matter of seconds. The results have been compared with a widely used FEA tool and the predictions are found to be in good agreement with FEA results.

Intention of purchasing generic prescription drugs on the part of consumers in Asturias, Spain

Ascertaining how consumers perceive the risk related to the use of generic prescription drugs and those factors which have the greatest impact on the intention to request a generic drug from the prescribing physician and/or the pharmacist for the purpose of determining any possible barriers or hindrances to the acceptance of generics and to gather information to aid healthcare managers in their decision-making processes. Study on prescription drug use revolving around the degree to which patients are willing to request an EFG. In this quantitative transversal study, a total of 542 individuals were individually surveyed upon exiting a healthcare center or pharmacy in Asturias. A scale for measuring the perceived risk involved in the purchase of a prescription drug including 15 attributes grouped into five aspects was included in the questionnaire. Information was also gathered regarding the intention of using generic prescription drugs and on the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of those surveyed. For the analysis of the results, a factorial confirmational analysis, multiple regression and univariate analysis were used. The data was processed using the EQS and SPSS statistics programs. Mean perception of the risk (scales 1-7): functional: 2.75; physical: 2.68: financial: 2.19; psychological: 1.99; social: 1.42. Factors having a bearing on the intention of requesting generic prescription drugs from their physician: psychological risk (p = 0.000). On requesting the same from their pharmacist: psychological risk (p = 0.000) and social risk (p = 0.020). The agents interested in the development on the EFG market should target their communication efforts on putting the functional and financial aspects of the manufacturer's specialties and generic specialties on the same level, but should not leave out psychological and social aspects of the consumers' purchasing behavior.