Community pharmacists’ attitudes toward the quality and price of locally manufactured generic medicines in Kabul, Afghanistan

Bashaar, Mohammad; Saleem, Fahad

doi:10.1186/s40545-015-0037-3

Cited by 10 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 30 publications

(46 reference statements)

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“…Our results echo studies from other LMICs where physicians and pharmacy staff have expressed mixed or negative perceptions regarding the safety and efficacy of generics [45–48]. One review examining physician perspectives of generic drugs found that doctors in LMICs tend to have less positive views of generics compared to doctors in high-income countries, who had more positive perceptions [49].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 74%

Perceptions and utilization of generic medicines in Guatemala: a mixed-methods study with physicians and pharmacy staff

Flood

Mathieu

Chary

et al. 2017

BMC Health Serv Res

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BackgroundAccess to low-cost essential generic medicines is a critical health policy goal in low-and-middle income countries (LMICs). Guatemala is an LMIC where there is both limited availability and affordability of these medications. However, attitudes of physicians and pharmacy staff regarding low-cost generics, especially generics for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), have not been fully explored in Guatemala.MethodsSemi-structured interviews with 30 pharmacy staff and 12 physicians in several highland towns in Guatemala were conducted. Interview questions related to perceptions of low-cost generic medicines, prescription and dispensing practices of generics in the treatment of two NCDs, diabetes and hypertension, and opinions about the roles of pharmacy staff and physicians in selecting medicines for patients. Pharmacy staff were recruited from a random sample of pharmacies and physicians were recruited from a convenience sample. Interview data were analyzed using a thematic approach for qualitative data as well as basic quantitative statistics.ResultsPharmacy staff and physicians expressed doubt as to the safety and efficacy of low-cost generic medicines in Guatemala. The low cost of generic medicines was often perceived as proof of their inferior quality. In the case of diabetes and hypertension, the decision to utilize a generic medicine was based on multiple factors including the patient’s financial situation, consumer preference, and, to a large extent, physician recommendations.ConclusionsInterventions to improve generic medication utilization in Guatemala must address the negative perceptions of physicians and pharmacy staff toward low-cost generics. Strengthening state capacity and transparency in the regulation and monitoring of the drug supply is a key goal of access-to-medicines advocacy in Guatemala.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 74%

Perceptions and utilization of generic medicines in Guatemala: a mixed-methods study with physicians and pharmacy staff

Flood

Mathieu

Chary

et al. 2017

BMC Health Serv Res

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“…Attitude score category were major determinants of positive attitude for generic medicines. 42 In this study however, majority of the respondents favoured the use of generic over branded medicines. Respondents within the age bracket of 20-40years showed better attitude towards generic medicines than those in higher age brackets.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 51%

Knowledge, attitudes, perceptions and practices of community pharmacists about generic medicine in Nigeria

Osemene

Ihekoronye

Lamikanra

2020

Journal of Generic Medicines

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Background Although generic medicines are used extensively in Nigeria information from community pharmacists about these drugs are scanty and therefore inadequate. This is why this study has been designed to bridge the knowledge gap, attitudes, as well as the perception and practice of community pharmacists about generic medicines in Nigeria. Method A questionnaire-guided cross-sectional survey was used to collect data from 380 community pharmacists who were randomly selected from community pharmacies between April and June 2019 in Southwestern Nigeria. Data generated in the course of this study was analysed with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 18. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize data. Chi-square was used to test proportions and to determine associations between categorical variables. Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient was used to determine correlation between dependent variables. Result Mean knowledge score of community pharmacists about generic medicines(GM) was 5.6 ± 2.9 out of a total maximum score of 10. Results showed that 47.9% of respondents had poor knowledge, 27.6% average knowledge and 24.5% good knowledge about GM. Knowledge was significantly associated (p = .000) with all demographic characteristics except professional qualifications. A majority (89%) of the respondents were of the view that patients need more explanations when GMs are dispensed to them. In addition, 90.3% of the respondents were of the opinion that GM will improve access to medicine because they are cheaper and easily affordable. About 93% practice generic substitution without consulting prescribing physicians. Furthermore, 85% of the respondents claim they stock mainly GMs. Conclusion Community pharmacists in Nigeria had a positive attitude, perception and practice about GM, but exhibited sub-optimal knowledge in understanding issues concerning generic medicines. It is concluded that there is the need for continuous training and education to enhance professional knowledge of pharmacists in the area of GM substitution.

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“…It is important to allow generic substitution and generic prescription in the health care system to contain the increasing cost of medicines [ 5 ]. Many countries, like the UK, US, and France, advocate the use of GMs to limit spending and improve affordability [ 12 ]. Although many countries have introduced generic prescriptions and generic substitutions, the use of GMs is limited due to inadequate knowledge and negative beliefs among consumers and health care professionals [ 6 , 7 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Consumers’ Perception of Generic Medicines and Evaluation of In Vitro Quality Control Parameters of Locally Manufactured Paracetamol Tablets in Asmara, Eritrea: A Cross-Sectional Study

Idris

Hassan

Hassen

et al. 2021

BioMed Research International

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Generic medicines are clinically equivalent and can be used interchangeably for their intended use. Globally, the usage of generic medicines is highly recommended because of their affordability and accessibility. However, consumers hold a negative perception and attitude of using generic medicine as they consider it poor and having inferior quality compared to branded medicines. This study was conducted to assess the consumers’ general view of generic medicines and in vitro evaluation of a locally produced generic medicine, paracetamol. An analytical and cross-sectional study was conducted in three selected hospitals, and in vitro quality control evaluation was done in National Drug Quality Control Laboratory between October 26 and November 21, 2017, in Asmara, Eritrea. A systematic random sampling design was employed, and the data was collected using a questionnaire and a check-list for recording the quality control parameters of paracetamol tablets. A total of 403 respondents were included in the study. The majority of the study participants were females (61.8%). Generally, about half (49.1%) of the respondents choose locally manufactured paracetamol over the imported ones. More than half (68.5%) of the respondents did not believe expensive medicines are of better quality. The main reason consumers prefer the local paracetamol (Azemol) tablet to the imported one was due to their good experience (62.1%). About three-fourths (78.1%) of the consumers also believed that medicines manufactured abroad confer higher quality. At the multivariate level, having educational backgrounds such as elementary ( AOR = 4.19 , 95% CI: 1.251, 14.035) and junior ( AOR = 2.4 , 95% CI: 1.146, 5.028) was associated with preferability to local paracetamol as a pain killer over the brand ones. The in vitro test of the local paracetamol met the standard specification for the identification test, weight variation test, pharmacopeial test, friability test, disintegration test, and dissolution test. In conclusion, the majority of the consumers considered local paracetamol as having an inferior quality when compared with brand paracetamol. However, the reality revealed that the local paracetamol was of the same quality as the brand ones. To facilitate widespread use of generic medicines, healthcare professionals should educate consumers on the advantages of these medicines.

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Community pharmacists’ attitudes toward the quality and price of locally manufactured generic medicines in Kabul, Afghanistan

Cited by 10 publications

References 30 publications

Perceptions and utilization of generic medicines in Guatemala: a mixed-methods study with physicians and pharmacy staff

Perceptions and utilization of generic medicines in Guatemala: a mixed-methods study with physicians and pharmacy staff

Knowledge, attitudes, perceptions and practices of community pharmacists about generic medicine in Nigeria

Consumers’ Perception of Generic Medicines and Evaluation of In Vitro Quality Control Parameters of Locally Manufactured Paracetamol Tablets in Asmara, Eritrea: A Cross-Sectional Study

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