Healthy Skepticism Library item: 9779

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Madsen S, Huse J, Roksvaag PO.
Pharmacy customers' attitude to generics
Tidsskrift for den Norske Laegeforening 2003; 123:(6):792-793

Abstract:

Background. Generic substitution – a measure aimed at cutting drug costs – was introduced in Norway in March 2001, when pharmacies were allowed to substitute generic preparations from an official list. We present an evaluation of customer response. Material and methods. 523 pharmacy customers (169 men and 354 women, mean age 49 years, range 24-88 years) who had just had their prescriptions dispensed were interviewed with a questionnaire in November 2001. Results. 230 (44 %) of the customers knew about generic substitution, but only 84 (16 % of the total number of customers) had been offered it. 71 (14 %) accepted the offer. Out of the 84 customers, 77 said that they understood the implications. 436 customers (83 %) were in favour of generic substitution; 19 (4 %) were opposed; 68 (13 %) had no opinion. Only 40 customers (8 %) had been informed by their physicians. Interpretation. The majority of pharmacy customers were in favour of generic substitution. Nine months after the introduction of generic substitution, about half of pharmacy customers knew about it, but few had tried it and even fewer had been informed by their physicians. No serious safety problems were discovered in our small material.