Knowledge, perceptions and use of generic drugs: a cross sectional study
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Data
2014-09
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Resumo
Objective: To assess the level of knowledge, perceptions and usage
profile for generic drugs among laypersons. Methods: A cross-
sectional study was conducted with 278 volunteers (180 women and
98 men, aged 37.1±15.8 years). A questionnaire was drawn up with
questions on their use, perceptions and knowledge of generic drugs.
Results: Most respondents (99.6%) knew that generic drugs exist,
but only 48.6% were able to define them correctly, while 78.8% of the
respondents had some information about generics. This information
was obtained mainly through television (49.3%). In terms of generic
drug characteristics, 79.1% stated that they were confident about
their efficacy, 74.8% believed that generic drugs have the same effect
as branded medications, 88.8% said that generics were priced lower
than branded medications, and 80.2% stated that they bought generic
drugs because of price. With regard to drugs prescribed by medical
practitioners, 17.6% of the participants said that their doctors never
prescribed generics and only 7.5% confirmed that their doctors always
prescribed generics. Conclusion: For the lay public, the sample in this
study has sufficient knowledge of generic drugs in terms of definition,
efficacy and cost. Consequently, the volunteers interviewed are very
likely to use generics. Furthermore, the results of this study indicate
that programs should be implemented in order to boost generic drug
prescriptions by medical practitioners.
Descrição
Palavras-chave
Reference drugs, Patient education, Generic drugs, Public policies, Drug use, Medicamentos de referência, Medicamentos genéricos, Educação do paciente, Políticas públicas, Uso de medicamentos
Citação
LIRA, Claudio Andre Barbosa de et al. Knowledge, perceptions and use of generic drugs: a cross sectional study. Einstein, São Paulo, v. 12, n. 3, p. 267-273, July/Sept. 2014.