Assessment of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Factors Influencing the Selection Student of Generic Medicine

Abstract

Background: Generic replacements for branded medicines have become a typical practice among registered pharmacists all over the world. Therefore, this study was aimed to determine the influence of the knowledge and attitudes of PharmD students and other factors on the selection of unbranded medicines.Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted through Google Forms to collect data using self-reported questionnaires. The data was collected over a period of 3 months, from January to March 2021, among junior level pharmacy students who are currently undertaking a PharmD course at the King Saud University, College of Pharmacy, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.Results: The mean age of the students was 21.05± (SD = 1.03), majority of students 70.2% (n = 134) were able to define the term generic medicine, and about 65% (n = 123) were able to correctly define bioequivalence. More than half of the students, 56.5% (n = 108) lacked knowledge about the pharmacokinetic parameters of generic products. Meanwhile, the majority, 85% (n = 122), supported generics over branded medicines, and about 66% (n = 99) agreed that wider use of generic medicines would lead to less money required for the research and development of new pharmaceuticals.Conclusion: Findings revealed that most pharmacy students possess sufficient knowledge of generic medicines, although knowledge in some aspects remains lacking.

Lebanese pharmacists’ knowledge of generic drugs and factors affecting their use and selection following the pandemic and the economic crisis: A pilot cross-sectional study

“…Findings on the key factors for the selection and prescription of generic drugs confirmed those reported previously in a study conducted in Saudi Arabia and included the financial situation of patients, the cost-effectiveness of generic drugs, and the lack of possible alternatives. 30 Furthermore, supportive legislation and regulations were also identified as potential factors for generic drug selection, in agreement with the literature. 33 Despite the negative perception of physicians towards the implementation of the unified medical prescription to increase generic drug prescription in Lebanon, 34 the Ministry of public health adopted a list of substitutable drugs for pharmacists to base their decision on and could be a successful method to lower medical expenses.…”

“…5 In addition, Most participants agreed that generic medicines must be cheaper than brands, bioequivalent, and were considered therapeutically equivalent to their corresponding brands, which is comparable to previous research in similar settings. 28,30 A significant proportion of Lebanese pharmacists held positive perceptions of generic medicines, disapproving that generics are less effective, less safe, inferior in quality, and more likely to cause side effects compared to brands. These perceptions are in line with some research 30,31 but contradict those from other studies conducted in New Zealand and in Ethiopia, in which pharmacists had safety and quality concerns about generics .…”

“…28,30 A significant proportion of Lebanese pharmacists held positive perceptions of generic medicines, disapproving that generics are less effective, less safe, inferior in quality, and more likely to cause side effects compared to brands. These perceptions are in line with some research 30,31 but contradict those from other studies conducted in New Zealand and in Ethiopia, in which pharmacists had safety and quality concerns about generics . 28,32 More than half of our study participants revealed that locally manufactured generics are equivalent in quality and safety to imported generics.…”

Attitude and perception of pharmacists and healthcare professionals about the criteria used in drug formulary selection in the United Arab Emirates

“…The study also found that Males have a better attitude about the criteria used in drug formulary selection when compared to their female counterparts. Again, Alarifi [ 27 ] and Bilal et al [ 28 ] report that most healthcare professionals have knowledge and positive attitude toward generic medicine and its selection criteria. Bagga [ 29 ] also reports that pharmacists and doctors are knowledgeable about the use of formulary.…”