Generic medicines: perceptions of consumers in Melbourne, Australia

Mohamed Azmi Hassali · David C. M. Kong · Kay Stewart

51 citations0/0 files storedInternational Journal of Pharmacy Practice

No readable copy stored yet — this record is metadata only.

No open-access location is known for this record yet.

Literature note Cite in a project Citation map

Pharmaceutical Economics and Policy Pharmacy and Medical Practices Medication Adherence and Compliance

Abstract

Abstract Objective The objective of this study was to explore consumers' perceptions and opinions of generic medicines and to identify barriers to their use of generic medicines. Method A qualitative approach was used. A purposive sample of consumers, aged 22–80 years, living in the Melbourne, Australia, metropolitan area were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. Key findings Sixteen consumers were interviewed. Thematic content analysis of the interviews identified four major themes: knowledge about generic medicines, acceptance of generics, non-acceptance of generics, and education needs pertaining to generic medicine use. In terms of knowledge, some consumers were not familiar with the term ‘generic medicines’, but were more familiar with the term ‘cheaper brand of medicine’. The major reason for acceptance of generic medicines among the consumers interviewed was cost. Positive encouragement from the healthcare providers was seen to influence generic medicine uptake by consumers. The major barriers to acceptance included influence from medical practitioners, side-effects from generic brands, and confusion that may arise from using different brands. To encourage future uptake of generics by consumers, some of the respondents recommended that education strategies be implemented by healthcare practitioners and governmental agencies to educate people on the safety and efficacy of generic medicines. Conclusions This study indicated that consumers interviewed generally had positive attitudes towards the use of generic medicines. The findings also suggest that direct patient education by the healthcare providers on issues relating to safety and efficacy of generic medicines could further enhance their uptake.

Paper brief

Loading…

Cite this work

Citation unavailable for this work.

BibTeX RIS CSL-JSON

No public copy is stored for this record, so only the metadata is cited.

Citations in this library

Citation map →

Stored only when both papers are in the corpus — 51 citations exist upstream.

References

2006Qualitative research: Methods in the social sciences 2000Qualitative Research Methods for the Social Sciences 2002Encouraging the use of generic medicines: implications for transition economies.2000Consumer Perceptions of Risk and Required Cost Savings for Generic Prescription Drugs 2001A Cost-Effectiveness Approach To Drug Subsidy And Pricing In Australia 2003Generics - equal or not?2001Consumers' Views on Generic Medications 2001Impact of the Minimum Pricing Policy and introduction of brand (generic) substitution into the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme in Australia

Cited by

2012A review of patient perspectives on generics substitution: what are the challenges for optimal drug use 2008A pilot survey on perceptions and knowledge of generic medicines among consumers in Penang, Malaysia

Explore the map →

Papers that cite the same references — the relational fallback while embeddings are still backfilling.

Imported from OpenAlex (CC0) — nothing here is generated.