Healthy Skepticism Library item: 10761

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Publication type: Journal Article

Steinman MA, Chren MM, Landefeld CS.
What's in a name? Use of brand versus generic drug names in United States outpatient practice
J Gen Intern Med 2007 May; 22:(5):645-8
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=17443372

Abstract:

BACKGROUND: The use of brand rather than generic names for medications can increase health care costs. However, little is known at a national level about how often physicians refer to drugs using their brand or generic names.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate how often physicians refer to drugs using brand or generic terminology.

DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: We used data from the 2003 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS), a nationally representative survey of 25,288 community-based outpatient visits in the United States. After each visit, patient medications were recorded on a survey encounter form by the treating physician or transcribed from office notes.

MEASUREMENTS: Our main outcome measure was the frequency with which medications were recorded on the encounter form using their brand or generic names.

RESULTS: For 20 commonly used drugs, the median frequency of brand name use was 98% (interquartile range, 81-100%). Among 12 medications with no generic competition at the time of the survey, the median frequency of brand name use was 100% (range 92-100%). Among 8 medications with generic competition at the time of the survey (“multisource” drugs), the median frequency of brand name use was 79% (range 0-98%; P < .001 for difference between drugs with and without generic competition).

CONCLUSIONS: Physicians refer to most medications by their brand names, including drugs with generic formulations. This may lead to higher health care costs by promoting the use of brand-name products when generic alternatives are available.

Keywords:
drug labeling - drug industry - prescriptions, drug - drugs, generic - names - prescription fees - ambulatory care Publication Types: Comparative Study Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH Terms: Ambulatory Care Facilities* Drug Costs/classification Drugs, Generic/classification* Drugs, Generic/economics* Humans Prescription Fees/classification Terminology* Therapeutic Equivalency United States Substances: Drugs, Generic

Notes:

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