Exploring community pharmacists’ knowledge, perception and experiences towards branded and generic medicines in Kuwait: Highlighting the role of pharmacist
Background: Substituting brand drugs with generic drugs without affecting patients’ health is considered a cost-effective measure to reduce health care expenditure. Objectives: The study was designed to explore the community pharmacists’ knowledge, perception and experiences toward generic drug subs...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University
2018-06-01
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| Series: | Bulletin of Faculty of Pharmacy Cairo University |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1110093118300061 |
| _version_ | 1797965999706734592 |
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| author | M. Al Hussaini N. Alsaffar A. Abdulraheem |
| author_facet | M. Al Hussaini N. Alsaffar A. Abdulraheem |
| author_sort | M. Al Hussaini |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Substituting brand drugs with generic drugs without affecting patients’ health is considered a cost-effective measure to reduce health care expenditure.
Objectives: The study was designed to explore the community pharmacists’ knowledge, perception and experiences toward generic drug substitution and highlight the role of pharmacist in practicing substitution.
Method: A descriptive cross sectional survey among community pharmacists was carried out in Kuwait. A validated questionnaires consisting of 3 sections with total of 22 questions were distributed to 180 pharmacists and collected after 3–5 days.
Results: Less than half of respondents (46.1%) thought that generic drugs are equivalent to the original brands. 60% of pharmacists believed that OTC are as effective as brands while only 42% agreed that generic drugs can be as effective as brand for chronic diseases. Pharmacists agreed that brands have more strength variety (74%), better packaging (72%) and more expensive (66.2%) than generic. Most of the pharmacists agreed on stocking brand (88%) and generic (72%). Also 81% and 62% agreed that drug price and doctor’s opinion could affect patients’ choice, alternatively. 88% of pharmacists would recommend generic substitutes when brands are not available. Whereas 45% would try to persuade patients to shift to a brand when patient is unsatisfied with the generic. Pharmacists were more confident in recommending generic OTC drugs than the branded counterpart for chronic diseases (p = 0.001).
Conclusion: A national brand substitution policy should be formulated and implemented to assist pharmacists in the proper substitution practice and to help minimize the healthcare costs. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T02:08:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d1d5c40cf5de435d8898a4bfaf669bb2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1110-0931 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T02:08:50Z |
| publishDate | 2018-06-01 |
| publisher | Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Bulletin of Faculty of Pharmacy Cairo University |
| spelling | doaj.art-d1d5c40cf5de435d8898a4bfaf669bb22023-01-03T02:41:51ZengFaculty of Pharmacy, Cairo UniversityBulletin of Faculty of Pharmacy Cairo University1110-09312018-06-0156110911410.1016/j.bfopcu.2018.03.005Exploring community pharmacists’ knowledge, perception and experiences towards branded and generic medicines in Kuwait: Highlighting the role of pharmacistM. Al HussainiN. AlsaffarA. AbdulraheemBackground: Substituting brand drugs with generic drugs without affecting patients’ health is considered a cost-effective measure to reduce health care expenditure. Objectives: The study was designed to explore the community pharmacists’ knowledge, perception and experiences toward generic drug substitution and highlight the role of pharmacist in practicing substitution. Method: A descriptive cross sectional survey among community pharmacists was carried out in Kuwait. A validated questionnaires consisting of 3 sections with total of 22 questions were distributed to 180 pharmacists and collected after 3–5 days. Results: Less than half of respondents (46.1%) thought that generic drugs are equivalent to the original brands. 60% of pharmacists believed that OTC are as effective as brands while only 42% agreed that generic drugs can be as effective as brand for chronic diseases. Pharmacists agreed that brands have more strength variety (74%), better packaging (72%) and more expensive (66.2%) than generic. Most of the pharmacists agreed on stocking brand (88%) and generic (72%). Also 81% and 62% agreed that drug price and doctor’s opinion could affect patients’ choice, alternatively. 88% of pharmacists would recommend generic substitutes when brands are not available. Whereas 45% would try to persuade patients to shift to a brand when patient is unsatisfied with the generic. Pharmacists were more confident in recommending generic OTC drugs than the branded counterpart for chronic diseases (p = 0.001). Conclusion: A national brand substitution policy should be formulated and implemented to assist pharmacists in the proper substitution practice and to help minimize the healthcare costs.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1110093118300061Generic drugBrand drugsPharmacistsKuwaitSubstitution |
| spellingShingle | M. Al Hussaini N. Alsaffar A. Abdulraheem Exploring community pharmacists’ knowledge, perception and experiences towards branded and generic medicines in Kuwait: Highlighting the role of pharmacist Bulletin of Faculty of Pharmacy Cairo University Generic drug Brand drugs Pharmacists Kuwait Substitution |
| title | Exploring community pharmacists’ knowledge, perception and experiences towards branded and generic medicines in Kuwait: Highlighting the role of pharmacist |
| title_full | Exploring community pharmacists’ knowledge, perception and experiences towards branded and generic medicines in Kuwait: Highlighting the role of pharmacist |
| title_fullStr | Exploring community pharmacists’ knowledge, perception and experiences towards branded and generic medicines in Kuwait: Highlighting the role of pharmacist |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring community pharmacists’ knowledge, perception and experiences towards branded and generic medicines in Kuwait: Highlighting the role of pharmacist |
| title_short | Exploring community pharmacists’ knowledge, perception and experiences towards branded and generic medicines in Kuwait: Highlighting the role of pharmacist |
| title_sort | exploring community pharmacists knowledge perception and experiences towards branded and generic medicines in kuwait highlighting the role of pharmacist |
| topic | Generic drug Brand drugs Pharmacists Kuwait Substitution |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1110093118300061 |
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