Use Of Generic Medicines Research Articles

Influence of Continuing Education Program on Pharmacy Students’ Knowledge about Generic Drugs in Saudi Arabia

<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Objectives: </strong>Currently, the use of generic medicines has increased globally. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of education program (CEP) on future health care professionals&rsquo; knowledge of generic medicines. <strong>Methods: </strong>A prospective, one-group, and pre- and post-test design was used to assess the effects of the educational program on future health care professionals&rsquo; knowledge of generic medicines. The participants were final year pharmacy students a total of 24 Pharm.D students received the Continue education intervention. <strong>Findings:</strong> About 91% of them heard of generic medicines, with the most common source of information being the hospital (16.7%), followed by teachers and lecturers (33.3%). About 50% of them received generic medicine information from their course work. Most 91% of the respondents indicated that they had heard about generic and branded medicines. Pharm.D students&rsquo; knowledge score significantly increased from 7.2 before the CEP program to 9.4 after. <strong>Conclusion:</strong> The results of this study concluded that before the educational intervention, students had inadequate knowledge and misconceptions about generic medicine. CEP on generic medicines was effective in the improvement of the knowledge of future health care professionals. <p style="text-align: justify;">Key words: Continuing Education, Future Health Care Professionals, Knowledge, Generic Medicine, Saudi Arabia.

Knowledge, Beliefs and Factors Affecting the Use of Generic Medicines among Patients in Ibb, Yemen: A Mixed-method Study

Knowledge, Beliefs and Factors Affecting the Use of Generic Medicines among Patients in Ibb, Yemen: A Mixed-method Study

Reasons of Generic Medicines avoidance by Patients in India: A Quantitative Investigation

The high cost of healthcare is a major concern for patients in India, and one of the ways to reduce this burden is by increasing the use of generic medicines. However, despite the availability and affordability of generic medicines, their usage remains low in the country. This study aims to investigate the reasons behind the avoidance of generic medicines by patients in India. This can highlight the need for improving the perception and trust in the quality of generic medicines among patients and healthcare professionals in India. Furthermore, policymakers could also introduce regulations that mandate the use of generic medicines in public health facilities and incentivize doctors and pharmacists to prescribe and dispense generic medicines. By addressing the factors contributing to this issue, policymakers, healthcare professionals, and pharmaceutical companies can work together to increase the use of generic medicines and improve access to affordable healthcare for all.

Effect of a state hospital formulary on medicines utilisation in Australia.

Objective The provision of medicines through state public hospitals is comparatively restrictive compared with the federally funded Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). Individual states are progressively moving towards statewide medicines formularies. Although a statewide formulary has existed in Queensland for some time. The effects of hospital formularies on medicines utilisation and policy in Australia has not been quantified. Thus, the aim of the present study was to quantify the effects of the Queensland Health List of Approved Medicines (LAM) on medicines utilisation in Queensland at a state and PBS-purchasing level and describe the implications for medicines policy. Methods This study used a quasi-experimental design with an interrupted time series (with control for PBS) examining utilisation effects of medicines within the therapeutic classes of proton pump inhibitors and non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants with LAM listing or delisting. Results The LAM was demonstrated to be highly effective at controlling utilisation within Queensland Health purchasing. Effects on PBS utilisation were evident, resulting in increases in generic utilisation (where available) and associated reduced total costs both within Queensland Health and to the PBS. The full benefit is likely underestimated due to limitations in the PBS datasets. Conclusion The LAM is a highly effective state medicines policy tool with demonstrable effects on PBS utilisation. With increased use of statewide medicines formularies, this will be an increasingly relevant aspect of Australia's overall medicines policy. What is known about the topic? State medicines policy is comparatively restrictive compared with the federal PBS. Most Australian states have, or are developing, statewide medicines formularies. What does this paper add? By examining several classes of medicines, a substantial quantitative effect of the Queensland state formulary on both state and PBS medicines utilisation can be demonstrated. Increased use of generic medicines and reduced costs are seen. What are the implications for practitioners? With increased use of state medicines formularies, state medicines formularies will become increasingly relevant to medicines policy makers and advocates at both the state and federal level.

Knowledge and attitude of MBBS undergraduate students for use of generic medicines at a tertiary care hospital

Introduction: The cost incurred on medicine is one of the major concerning components of health expenditure. Prescription of generic drugs, can reduce the costs without reducing the quality of treatment. Hence this study is being taken to explore knowledge and attitude of MBBS undergraduate students for use of generic medicine, who are the future prescriber of generic medicines. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire based cross-sectional, observational study was carried out in II, III and final year MBBS students of Dr. V.M. Govt. Medical College Sholapur, from 1stMarch 2018 to 31st May 2018. A 20 item multiple choice questionnaire consisting of knowledge (10) and attitude (10) was distributed to the participants. Result: 45.62% agreed that generic medicines are usually intended to be interchangeable with the innovator drugs. Among the participants, 73.73% were aware that generic drug manufacturers need to conduct studies to show bioequivalence between the generic medicine and their branded counterparts. Majority of the participants (66.36%) were of the view that generic medicines were as safe as that of branded drugs. 93.55% of the participants agreed that importance of generic medicines should be taught in early part of the MBBS period. Conclusion: The present study showed that participants had good amount of knowledge and positive attitude regarding generic medicines. In order to provide safe and effective treatment to the community and decrease the cost of healthcare delivery system, the number of generic medicine prescription should be increased. Hence, workshops and CME on generic medicines should be organized and more time should be dedicated to generic medicine lectures during the MBBS period. Keywords: Generic medicines, MBBS students, Knowledge, Attitude.

Public perception of generic medicines in Malta

AbstractObjectivesTo assess the perception of generic medicines among the general public in Malta.MethodsA self-administered questionnaire was developed to assess knowledge, attitudes and use of generic medicines. The questionnaire was disseminated to a sample of the public recruited by convenience sampling in five localities in Malta. Descriptive statistics were undertaken.Key findingsA total of 228 participants completed the questionnaire; 54% were female, 42% were ≥60 years old, and 37% had up to secondary education level. Sixty-one per cent of the participants were aware of the correct definition of a generic medicine, and 55% stated that they had previously used generic medicines. Twenty per cent of the participants had never used generic medicines since they perceived them to be inferior in quality or less effective compared to their originator counterparts. Fifty-four per cent of the participants would switch to a generic medicine if the originator product was out-of-stock and 38% would pay between 1% and 20% less for a generic medicine compared to the originator product.ConclusionsParticipants in this study exhibited a positive overall perception regarding generic medicines, demonstrating improvement in perception from a previous local study. The majority of participants were knowledgeable about generic medicines, had previously used generic medicines and would switch to a generic medicine if the originator product was not in stock.

The Use of Generic Medications for Glaucoma.

The use of generic medicines has grown considerably in recent years providing considerable cost savings. In England, generic items represented 11.7% of prescriptions for glaucoma and ocular hypertension in 2009, increasing to 55.2% of prescriptions in 2018. Generics can be brought to the market quickly and at low cost as manufacturers are not required to repeat animal or clinical research on active ingredients already approved for safety and efficacy. Although there is no regulatory requirement for studies comparing branded and generic eye drops, several randomised crossover studies have been performed comparing branded and generic prostaglandin analogues. While most have shown similar intraocular pressure lowering, studies are of short duration and have not evaluated visual field endpoints. Furthermore, differences in inactive ingredients, pH, viscosity, levels of particulate matter, and degradation over time have been reported. Other potential problems with generic eye drops include differences in bottle design affecting adherence, problems with supply, and the possibility that reduced revenue for innovator companies will lead to reduced investment in new drug development. This article reviews the potential advantages and disadvantages of generic antiglaucoma medications.

Fifth stage pharmacy students’ knowledge and perceptions about generic medicines

The aim of the current study was to evaluate the knowledge and perception of the fifth stage pharmacy students (college of pharmacy/ University of Baghdad /Iraq) regarding generic medicines. This study is a cross-sectional study carried in a college of pharmacy /University of Baghdad during the period from (November 2018- March 2019). The number of students included in the current study was 168 undergraduate stager pharmacists. A questionnaire was used to collect data of the study. Nearly 86% of the students said that they had heard of generic and brand medicines, and pharmacy was the main source of knowledge regarding generic medicines (66.7%). About (33.3%) of the respondents agreed that generic medicines are bioequivalent to brand medicine. However, (38.1%) perceived generic medicines might not be the therapeutic equivalent of brand medicines. In addition, (35.1%) of the respondents believed that generics are lower in quality, which is why they are cheap and produce more side effects. Moreover, (41.1%) of the sample agreed that generic medicines should be avoided in life-threating situations. About (56.5 %) of the students were found to have a poor level of perception regarding the use of generic medicines. The majority of the fifth stage pharmacy students (college of pharmacy/ University of Baghdad /Iraq) were found to have a good knowledge but a poor level of perception about the use of generic medicines.

A cross-sectional study to compare knowledge and perception of generic medicine among medical students at a tertiary care center

Background: Prescribing generic medicine is still a debatable issue among prescribers and the issues of bioequivalence, quality, and safety remain problem areas. The perception that generic medicines are inferior to brand medicine can be eradicated by educating medical students who are the future prescribers. Aim and Objective: The correct knowledge of generic medicine among students will enhance the prescribing of low cost and effective medicines. Therefore, this study was conducted to analyze the knowledge and perception of generic medicines among undergraduates (UG), interns, and postgraduate (PG) students in a medical teaching institute. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 230 medical students (145 UG, 50 interns, and 35 PG) in Uttar Pradesh University of Medical Sciences, Saifai, to assess knowledge and attitude of students for generic medicines. Chi-square test was used to analyze results. Results: About 98% of UG and interns and 100% of PG students were aware of generic medicines. Awareness of Jan Aushadhi Scheme is substantially poor in UG students as compared to interns and PG (P < 0.001). About 86% of student considered generic medicine of low cost, less effective (30%), poor quality (34%), and having more side effects (38%) as compared to branded medicine. Students believe product bonuses (28%) and advertisement (38%) by pharmaceuticals will alter their prescribing patterns in the future. About 71% of students (P < 0.001) consider that it is easier to remember a generic name and 89% of students (P < 0.001) wish to have further information regarding generic medicine in their medical curriculum. Conclusion: Medical students lack comprehensive knowledge and carry erroneous impressions for generic medicine. There is a need for more emphasis regarding generic medicine in UG medical curriculum. This will augment rational prescribing and cost-effective use of generic medicine in the future.

Edaravone, a new therapeutic option in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Evaluation of challenges in the drug accessibility

Introduction: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease, with about 3–4 years median survival from the onset of symptoms. Only two therapies for ALS have been proven effective in slowing down this condition, riluzole and edaravone. Recently approved edaravone, either original or generic, is not registered in Poland. It can only be used after special approval of Polish Ministry of Health. The costs of payment have to be covered by patient in full. Aim: In this article we will describe the public demand of edaravone in Poland for ALS treatment and problems related to prescribing the drug, like procedures and prices. Material and methods: This article is based on the available literature and on data obtained from Polish Ministry of Health. Results and discussion: The high cost of therapy affects the relatively widespread use of generic medicines not registered in Europe. We identify mechanisms of the demand and supply for various formulations of edaravone in Poland. These information should be of relevance to many other countries, especially within the European Union. Conclusions: Medicines available from licensed manufacturer are more expensive than offers available on-line. Although original chain of distribution presents with unrivaled warranty to avoid purchasing of adulterated drug we report the challenges of the edaravone treatment initiation in ALS patients in Poland.

Perceptions and Practice of Use of Generic Medicines by Intern Doctors at A Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital – A Cross Sectional Study

Perceptions and Practice of Use of Generic Medicines by Intern Doctors at A Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital – A Cross Sectional Study

The effects of the financial crisis on the general and dental health status of Greek citizens

To present the impact of the financial crisis on health status and dental health in Greece and compare it to the European Union and Finland and to identify any changes in health-related expenditure focusing on pharmaceutical expenditure and generic medicines. Databases as Scopus, Pubmed, Google Scholar, World Health Organization, Eurostat, and Elstat were used. Indicators, such as mortality and life expectancy, show that there is no clear correlation between health deterioration and financial crisis while dental health has deteriorated. Out-of-pocket expenses were found to be catastrophic, and the use of generic medicines is still limited. Proper prescribing of medicines, coverage of health care costs by the government, and cost savings from the use of generic medicines were implemented. As regards dental care, the state should focus on prevention as well as reinforcement of public dental care services. The break through idea is to compare the impact of the financial crisis on health indexes in Greece with the European Union and Finland, to focus on pharmaceutical expenditure, generic medicines, and dental health.

Use of generic medicines in Latvia: awareness, opinions and experiences of the population

BackgroundTo stimulate use of generic medicines a combination of supply and demand side mechanisms are employed in the Latvian reimbursement system. It is reported that patients have high out-of-pocket pharmaceutical spending and that they overpay by not choosing generic medicines. Patient preferences may be an important obstacle in implementing generic policy. Objective of this study was to assess awareness, opinions and experience of the Latvian population regarding use of generic medicines.MethodsSurvey of representative sample of the population of Latvia (n = 1005) aged 18–74 was conducted in March 2015. The survey was distributed in Latvian and Russian languages using Computer Assisted Web Interviews. Associations between experience with generic medicines, preference for medicines, and sociodemographic variables were tested with Pearson Chi-square statistics. Associations between the previous experience and information given by different sources versus choice between medicines were tested with Spearman’s correlation test.Results72.3% of the population were informed about generic medicines. Men (66.9%) and respondents with primary or secondary education (58.3%; 69.3%) were less informed compared to total (72.3%). From those who recalled using generic medicines (n = 441), 94.4% evaluated their experience as positive or neutral. Despite this, only 21% of the population would opt for generic medicines. The strongest preference for brand-name medicines was in the age group > 55 (40.5%). Opinion of a physician was the most important factor when choosing between generic and brand-name medicines (88.7%). The more positive the information provided by general practitioners, physician specialists, pharmacists, family members, friends and internet is perceived, the more likely respondents are to choose generic medicines (p < 0.001).ConclusionThis study demonstrates that people in Latvia are aware of generic medicines but only a minority of the population would choose them when presented with a choice. It is therefore important that health care professionals provide objective and unbiased information about generic medicines to their patients. Interventions should aim to reach groups that are less informed and to improve providers’ understanding and communication with patients about generics.

Deferasirox in thalassemia: a comparative study between an innovator drug and its copy among a sample of Iraqi patients.

Background:The health care industry is witnessing an increasing trend in the use of generic medicines because of their presumed low cost compared with innovator medicines. The aim of this study was to determine and compare the performance of the copy drug Osveral® and its innovator drug deferasirox (Exjade®).Methods:A prospective observational study including 223 patients receiving the branded medicine Exjade® and 101 patients receiving the copy Osveral® was carried out. Data were assessed for a 1-year period and included clinical symptoms, serum ferritin (SF), serum creatinine (SC), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Data were analyzed with SPSS version 22 software (SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA).Results:The median age of the sample was 8 years. There was no significant difference in gender distribution between the two groups (p = 0.625). Nausea was the most frequently reported adverse effect followed by diarrhea and abdominal pain in both groups. Patients receiving Exjade® had a higher relative reduction of SF at the end of the study compared with the Osveral® group (19.9% versus 9.93%, p = 0.028). SC was found to be significantly higher in the Osveral® group than in the Exjade® group throughout the study period. The mean platelet count was higher in the Exjade® group. ALT was significantly higher among patients receiving Osveral® over the last three months of the study.Conclusions:Exjade® showed a better ability to reduce SF, with less liver toxicity, and better hemostasis profile. No congenital anomalies associated with short-term use of both drugs during pregnancy were observed or reported.

ATTITUDE TOWARDS GENERIC FORMULATIONS USAGE: NARROWING THE GAP BETWEEN PHARMACIST AND PHYSICIANS

Objective: The thought of providing the best quality of medicines at cheaper costs made the governments to think of generic drug substitutions in order to minimize the economic burden. This study was designed to investigate the attitude of physicians and pharmacists towards generic medicines and thus to reduce the gap between them.Methods: This is a simple, prospective, cross-sectional, comparative study conducted for a period of 3 mo. 100 Subjects (50 pharmacists and 50 physicians) were included in this study. Subjects who ever graduated with the pharmacy degree and working as pharmacists, as well as clinical practitioners, were included in this study. Data collected using a validated questionnaire.Results: 60% of physicians and 80% of pharmacists were confident enough in dispensing generic products. 56% of physicians agree that pharmacists play a vital role in providing assistance on the use of generic medicines. 70% of physicians and 90% of pharmacists agreed that the generic medicines are of less expensive.Conclusion: Our Study concludes that pharmacist’s shows a higher positive response towards the usage of generic products than physicians. Generic drugs typically cost 30% to 60% less than their brand products. In addition, patients taking generic drugs seem to be more willing to continue therapy.

Evaluation of knowledge, attitude, and practice of generic drugs among intern doctors at a tertiary care teaching hospital

Background: The increasing health-care expenses are a major concern for the health-care proving system in the world. As stated by the World Health Organization, in the majority of developing countries out of pocket expenses may go as high as 80% of total health-care expenditures. In developing countries like India, the generic medicines are not widely prescribed due to lack of knowledge and awareness regarding generic medicines in both prescribers and in patients. Understanding of prescriber’s attitude and perceptions regarding the quality, efficacy, and safety of generic medicines may help to identify important barriers for better generic prescribing. Aims and Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of generic medicines among intern doctors at a tertiary care teaching hospital. Materials and Methods: A prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted among intern doctors at a tertiary care teaching hospital using a questionnaire, consisting of questions related to knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding generic medicines. Data were analyzed by MS Excel. Results: A total of 105 (88%) interns responded to the questionnaire. Around 60% of interns agreed with that generic medicine can be used in place of innovator (patented) medicine. Among all the interns, 52.4% were aware of that generic medicine contains the same active ingredient as their counterpart innovator medicine. More than half of interns (55.2 %) were aware of Jan Aushadhi scheme launched by the Government of India. Around 69.5% of interns disagreed with that generic medicines cost less because they are inferior to innovator medicines. Majority of interns (88.6%) were of the opinion that there should be some training session to raise the knowledge and awareness about generic medicines. Around half of the interns (50.5%) had never switch a patient on innovator medicine to generic medicine. Only 1% was not in favor of supporting generic drug prescribing. Conclusion: Knowledge of intern doctors regarding concept and regulations about generic drugs is adequate. Although they prescribe a good number of generic drugs, concerns regarding quality, efficacy, safety, availability, and awareness are present among them. Hence, mass awareness programs and training sessions are required to address these concerns which may alter their prescribing behavior and can encourage for more use of generic medicines.

Why Are New Drugs Expensive and How Can They Stay Affordable?

Increasing life expectancy leading to a higher median age causes an increasing need for healthcare resources, which is aggravated by an increasing prevalence of preventable diseases such as type 2 diabetes. This includes increasing expenditures for medicines, although these increases when expressed as a share of overall societal wealth are more moderate than often claimed. An increasing use of generic medicines (currently about 90% of all prescriptions) means that costs for discovery and development of innovative drugs must be recovered on a shrinking percentage of prescriptions. However, the key challenge to affordable drugs is exponentially increasing costs to bring a new medicine to the market, which in turn are largely driven by an about 90% attrition rate after start of clinical development. While many factors will be required in concert to keep innovative medicines affordable, reducing attrition appears to be the factor with the greatest potential to contain escalating drug development costs and thereby medication expenditures.

Medical and Pharmacy Students’ Perceptions Regarding Generic Medicines in Yemen

Objective: The study is to evaluate Yemeni medical and pharmacy students’ knowledge and attitude regarding generic medicines. Method: A cross-sectional survey was used to collect data from final-year medical and pharmacy students at six public and private universities in Yemen. The questionnaire was distributed among the students through their course coordinators. Students were clearly informed about the objective of the study and their written consents were taken before the survey. The responses were entered in SPSS, and descriptive and inferential analyses were carried out. Results: The response rate was 60.1%. Overall the half of participants’ perception regarding generic medicine was positive. Perceptions of pharmacy students’ regarding generic medicines were better than those of the medical students. Conclusion: The present study concluded that both studied groups had insufficient knowledge about quality, safety and bioequivalence of generic medicines. The medical students showed poorer knowledge than pharmacy students which need to give more attention from educators regarding the use of generic medicines. Key words: Generic drugs, Medical students, Perception, Pharmacy students, Yemen.

Exploring the Knowledge and Perception of Generic Medicines among Final Year Undergraduate Medical, Pharmacy, and Nursing Students in Sierra Leone: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Approach.

Most low-income nations have national medicine policy that emphasized the use of generic medicines in the public health sector. However, the use of generics is often debatable as there are concerns over its efficacy, quality, and safety compared to their branded counterparts. This study was conducted to compare the knowledge and perception of generic medicines among final year undergraduate medical, pharmacy, and nursing students in Sierra Leone. We conducted a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study among these students at the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences University of Sierra Leone. Out of the 62 students, only two (2/62, 3.2%) knew about the acceptable bioequivalence limit. At least half of respondents in all three groups agreed that all generics are therapeutically equivalent to their innovator brand. At least half of the medicine (21/42, 50%) and nursing (6/9, 66.6%) students, compared to pharmacy students (5/11, 45.5%), believed that higher safety standards are required for proprietary medicines than for generic medicines. Most of them agreed that they need more information on the safety, quality, and efficacy aspects of generics (59/62, 95.2%). All three groups of healthcare students, despite variations in their responses, demonstrated a deficiency in knowledge and misconception regarding generic medicines. Training on issues surrounding generic drugs in healthcare training institutions is highly needed among future healthcare providers in Sierra Leone.

Pricing policies for generic medicines in Australia, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea and Singapore: patent expiry and influence on atorvastatin price.

Little is known about how the different policies available to promote use of generic medicines affect the price per unit supplied or sold. This study compares the influence of pricing policies for generic medicines on atorvastatin prices in Australia, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea and Singapore, after market entry of generic atorvastatin. The annual price of atorvastatin per defined daily dose supplied (price/DDD) was examined for each country from 2006 to 2015 (≥2 years before and ≥4 years after generic market entry). Prices were converted to international dollars and cumulative percentage price reductions were calculated for the first 4 years following generic entry. Prior to market entry of generic atorvastatin, New Zealand had the lowest price ($0.10/DDD), and the Republic of Korea the highest ($2.89/DDD). The price/DDD fell immediately after generic entry in all countries except New Zealand, which already had low prices. The largest immediate decrease was observed in Singapore (46%, year 1). By the fourth year after generic entry, the price had fallen by 46-80% in all countries; however, large price differences between countries remained. New Zealand's tendering system and use of preferred medicines resulted in very low atorvastatin prices well before patent expiry. Pricing policies in the other three countries were effective in reducing atorvastatin prices, with reductions of between 46% and 80% within 4 years of generic entry. Where tendering and use of preferred medicines were the mechanisms for atorvastatin procurement (New Zealand), prices were lowest before and after generic entry. Mandatory price cuts, combined with price-disclosure policies (Australia), produced similar relative price reductions to tendering systems (New Zealand, Singapore) at 4 years. By comparison, mandatory price cuts upon generic entry as the sole measure, while initially effective, were associated with the smallest relative reduction in price after 4 years (Republic of Korea).