Generic versus brand-name over-the-counter analgesics: knowledge and attitudes among Swedish pharmacy customers

Håkonsen, Helle; Wängberg, Maria; Alani, Dina; Hedenrud, Tove

doi:10.1186/s40545-020-00269-5

Cited by 6 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…When confronted with the names of four active ingredients and a short list of brand names, only one-third were able to match at least three active substances to the correct brand. 24 This is in line with the results of West et al, which showed that only 30% of NSAID-users were able to recall the generic or brand name of the medicine. 11 The participants in this cohort were middle-aged women (38 or 50 years of age) whose average score on general health (SF36 domain) was higher than that reported in a previous population-based study from Gothenburg, 25,26 indicating a rather healthy study population.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

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Intra-Individual Variability in Self-Reported Use of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory and Analgesic Medicines Depending on Mode of Data Collection - Observations from the Population Study of Women in Gothenburg, Sweden

Håkonsen¹,

Hange²,

Hedenrud³

2021

IJGM

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Background: Self-report by questionnaire is one of the main methods to collect data on drug utilization. There are several modes of data collection by questionnaire, differing in the way of delivering the questionnaire to respondents and in the administration of the questions, both influencing the recall and participation rates. The aim of this study was to compare different modes of data collection for self-reported use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs) and analgesic medicines. Methods: Data on 573 women (38 or 50 years) were retrieved from the Population Study of Women in Gothenburg. Data on medicine use were collected using two different modes: (1) a self-administered questionnaire with closed-ended medicine-specific questions; and (2) an interviewer-administered questionnaire with open-ended questions. Cohen's kappa statistics were applied to assess the agreement of the two modes. Results: The proportion of participants that reported use of NSAIDs and analgesics was higher with the self-administered questionnaire compared with the interviewer-administered questionnaire (69.3% vs 58.5%, p <0.001). The overall agreement between the two modes of data collection was fair (Ⱪ=0.27), ranging from none for antimigraine preparations to fair (Ⱪ=0.36) for NSAIDs. A higher proportion of the participants aged 38 years reported use of NSAIDs and analgesics compared with the 50-year olds. In the regression model using data from the selfadministered questionnaire, all four categories of bodily pain were significant predictors for use of NSAIDs and analgesics. The most severe reported bodily pain was the only significant predictor in the model using data from the interviewer-administered questionnaire. Conclusion:This study showed that use of a self-administered questionnaire with closed-ended medicine-specific questions identified more users of NSAIDs and analgesic medicines compared with an interviewer-administered questionnaire with open-ended questions. Reported use according to the self-administered questionnaire was also more strongly associated with experienced pain.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Intra-Individual Variability in Self-Reported Use of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory and Analgesic Medicines Depending on Mode of Data Collection - Observations from the Population Study of Women in Gothenburg, Sweden

Håkonsen¹,

Hange²,

Hedenrud³

2021

IJGM

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“…ln the present study, respondents did not prefer local paracetamol to branded tablets due to its lower cost (99%). But in other comparative study, 69.4% [ 23 ] of the participants choose the cheaper generic over brand OTC medicines. In Saudi Arabia, 51.8% of the participants did not prefer using GMs because of their low price [ 24 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Besides, in another study, the majority of respondents associated low cost or no cost with lower quality of medicine [ 26 ]. The reasons why consumers did not opt for the local one maybe because they perceive cheaper medicines are inferior in quality [ 13 , 23 , 27 , 28 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

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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“…Females visit pharmacies more frequently and may receive more information about drugs. A previous study in Sweden showed that females paid more attention to drug efficacy (Håkonsen et al, 2020). Compared to people without chronic diseases, people with chronic diseases pay more attention to drug efficacy due to the need for frequent medication, and they need cost-effective and effective medicines to treat diseases and relieve symptoms.…”

Section: Analysis Of Influencing Factors Of Residents Taking Drug Saf...mentioning

confidence: 99%

The self-medication behaviors of residents and the factors related to the consideration of drug efficacy and safety—A cross-sectional study in China

Zhang²,

Zhang³

et al. 2023

Front. Pharmacol.

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Background: Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs facilitates residents self-medication. However, inappropriate self-medications have become a serious problem in China and even all over the world.Objectives: To make an investigation on the current status of Chinese residents’ self-medication behaviors and important considerations, and to explore the factors related to the considerations of drug efficacy and safety.Design: A quantitative, cross-sectional study.Methods: Multi-stage sampling was used to conduct a cross-sectional investigation in China 22 provinces, 5 autonomous regions and 4 municipalities directly under the Central Government. State that an interviewer-administrated questionnaire, was used for data collection. The questionnaire that was used in the investigation included demographic sociological characteristics, health literacy scale-short form (HLS-SF), the 10-item Big Five Inventory (BFI-10), the EuroQol-5D visual analogue scale (EQ-5D VAS), self-medication status and important considerations when self-medicating. Descriptive statistics were performed, and the Chi-square test was used for univariate analysis. Log-binomial regression was used for multivariate analysis on whether residents regard drug efficacy or safety as an important consideration.Results: 9256 respondents were included in the data analysis. The self-medication rate of Chinese adults was as high as 99.1%. Paracetamol and other analgesics were the most common types of OTC medication that respondents purchased, followed by vitamins/minerals. Medical staff recommendations, drug safety and efficacy were the top three important considerations. The residents in the east, central and western regions who consider safety is 63.5%, 61.5%, and 66.8% respectively. The proportion of curative effect was 60.2%, 55.7%, and 61.4% respectively. Log-binomial regression showed that western respondents, retired people, those who mainly used ways including basic medical insurance for employees, commercial medical insurance, free medical treatment to cover their medical cost, respondents with high neuroticism, high health literacy were more likely to consider drug safety as an important factor (p < 0.05). Eastern respondents, employed, main way of medical expenses borne was Out-of-pocket Payment, those with chronic disease were more likely to consider drug efficacy as an important factor (p < 0.05). Female, respondents with high levels of agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness, and self-rated health status were more likely to regard both drug safety and efficacy as important considerations (p < 0.05).Conclusion: Self-medication is practiced by most Chinese adults. Whether Chinese adults take drug efficacy or safety as an important consideration is related to their demographic and sociological characteristics, Big Five personality characteristics, health literacy and self-assessed health status. There is a need to strengthen the management of OTC drugs and public education about self-medication.

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Generic versus brand-name over-the-counter analgesics: knowledge and attitudes among Swedish pharmacy customers

Cited by 6 publications

References 33 publications

Intra-Individual Variability in Self-Reported Use of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory and Analgesic Medicines Depending on Mode of Data Collection - Observations from the Population Study of Women in Gothenburg, Sweden

Intra-Individual Variability in Self-Reported Use of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory and Analgesic Medicines Depending on Mode of Data Collection - Observations from the Population Study of Women in Gothenburg, Sweden

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

The self-medication behaviors of residents and the factors related to the consideration of drug efficacy and safety—A cross-sectional study in China

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