scholarly journals Knowledge, attitude and practices regarding generic medicines and its usage: a community-based study

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 2182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirthinath Ballala ◽  
Chythra R. Rao ◽  
Aparna S. Chaudhary ◽  
Ashwini S. Bidnurmath ◽  
Akhilesh K. Pandey
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Generic Drugs ◽  
Community Outreach ◽  
Essential Medicines ◽  
Generic Medicines ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Total Study Population ◽  
The Government

Background: India is the largest provider of generic medications globally. Despite this, several essential medicines remain inaccessible to majority of the general population, due to poor awareness, unavailability of drugs, distrust about the quality of the medicines, poor policy implementation and inadequate recommendation by doctors.Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out among 1151 adults in rural and urban areas attached to the community outreach area of a University Medical College. Written informed consent was taken from the participants. Data was collected using a pre-tested semi-structured online questionnaire and analysed using SPSS 15.0.Results: Knowledge regarding generic medicines was found to be low among the surveyed population (666, 57.9%), irrespective of their socio-economic status, education, occupation, place of residence or presence of chronic illnesses. As the knowledge was poor, participants were briefed about the generic medicines and their benefits. Thereafter, the attitude was assessed and found to be favourable among more than half (633, 55.0%) of the surveyed population. The usage of Generic medicines was found to be poor among the respondents. Only 53 (4.6%) of the total study population had switched from branded to generic medicines in the past six months as generic medicines were less expensive compared to their branded counterparts.Conclusions: The awareness about generic drugs and its usage was poor in the surveyed population. A favourable attitude towards generic drugs was achieved by educating the people about their similarity to branded medications. Therefore, there is a need to educate people not only about the quality, safety and efficacy of the generic medicines but also about the government initiatives like the Jan Aushadhi scheme. 

scholarly journals Physicians’ Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Generic Substitution in China: A Cross-Sectional Online Survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (15) ◽  
pp. 7749
Author(s):  
Mingyue Zhao ◽  
Lingyi Zhang ◽  
Zhitong Feng ◽  
Yu Fang
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Generic Substitution ◽  
Generic Drugs ◽  
Final Analysis ◽  
Generic Medicine ◽  
Generic Medicines ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Ordered Logistic Regression ◽  
Tertiary Hospitals

The purpose of this study is to investigate physicians’ knowledge, attitudes and practice of generic medicine substitutions in China. We conducted a cross-sectional online questionnaire survey on physicians from secondary or tertiary hospitals in China from 2020 December to 2021 April. Descriptive statistical and ordered logistic regression were used for analysis. A total of 1225 physicians were included in the final analysis, and only 330 (26.94%) of them scored 4 or above in the knowledge part, which means that the physicians have a good knowledge of generic substitutions. Of the total, 586 (47.83%) agreed or strongly agreed that generic drugs could be substituted for originator drugs and 585 (47.75%) always or often prescribed generic medicines. The percentage of physicians with a positive attitude toward or that practice prescribing generic medicine is below 50%, which needs to be improved in China. Physicians’ knowledge, their attitude toward generic substitution, if familiar with the policy of generic substitution, and incentives for prescribing generic medicines are influencing factors for the practice of generic substitution. Our studies show that the practice of generic substitution by physicians could be improved by several measures in China. We suggested that the physicians should be taught more about the bulk-buy policy and the generic-originator equivalence evaluation policy. Moreover, government incentives to promote generic substitution should be established. Our study also suggested that physicians with less working experience and female physicians should learn more about generic substitution.

scholarly journals Empty shelves: selected essential medicines stockouts in South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
L Wolvaardt ◽  
R Nemuntandani ◽  
I Kamungoma-Dada
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Treatment Interruption ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Essential Medicines ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Antiretroviral Medication

Abstract Background Access to essential medicines in South Africa has been compromised by stockouts in health facilities. This study describes the occurrence of stockouts for a selection of essential medicines. Methods This cross-sectional study used secondary data retrieved from the Stop Stock Outs Project (SSP). A descriptive analysis was conducted on data from the 2013-2015 SSP case management database of routinely reported stockouts. Chi square tests of independence was conducted on data from the SSP 2015 annual telephonic survey to investigate associations between the occurrence of stockouts, the level of health facility and the type of health professional. Results 231 facilities reported 609 stockouts. Antiretroviral medication had the most stockout reports (78%; n = 475/609), followed by anti-infectives (17.1%; n = 104/609) and tuberculosis medication (4.9%; n = 30/609). The highest number of stockout reports were received from Gauteng province and the majority (71.09%; n = 150/211) of facilities reporting stockouts were in urban areas. There were more stockouts at ambulatory, rather than inpatient care, facilities however, this was not statistically significant. Conclusions This study confirms that South Africa experiences medicine stockouts for many of the essential medicines, with antiretroviral medication being the category most affected. The stockouts vary between provinces and the urban-rural divide but are an equal threat to both ambulatory and inpatient facilities. Key messages The pattern of stockouts experienced over a three-year period suggest that stockouts are ‘normal’ despite the substantive effects of treatment interruption – especially patients with HIV and/or TB. Antiretroviral therapy is at risk as a result of stockouts.

scholarly journals Perspectives of pharmaceutical stakeholders on determinants of medicines accessibility at the primary care level

2021 ◽  
Vol 96 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hoda Ibrahim Rizk ◽  
Monira Mahmoud Elkholy ◽  
Abeer Abdou Barakat ◽  
Raghda Mostafa Mostafa Elsayed ◽  
Shaimaa A. M. Abd El Fatah
Keyword(s):  
Health System ◽  
Access To Medicines ◽  
Generic Medicine ◽  
Essential Medicines ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Urban Group ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
External Stakeholders ◽  
Assessment Approach ◽  
The Government

Abstract Background Equitable access to essential medicines of maintained efficacy, safety, quality, and cost-effectiveness must be ensured by a well-functioning health system. This study aims to identify the determinants of patients’ access to medicines at the primary health care (PHC) level from the perspectives of various (internal and external) stakeholders of the pharmaceutical system. Methods The study employed both quantitative and qualitative components. Quantitative component applied a descriptive a cross-sectional design and qualitative component applied an in-depth interview design. It was a health system research conducted at two (PHC) facilities (one urban and the other rural) in Egypt. It inquired upon political, economic, and managerial aspects of the pharmaceutical system utilizing the “Health System Assessment Approach: a How-To Manual” and the “WHO operational package for assessing, monitoring and evaluating country pharmaceutical situations.” Results Analysis of the quantitative data extracted from the cross-sectional component with external stakeholders (patients) revealed that about one-third of patients in both facilities were unable to pay for the medicine. Patients in both settings took less than an hour to reach the PHC facility. The Percent of patients who believe that the private pharmacies’ medicine is better than the PHC one was significantly higher in rural than urban group (24% and 10% respectively) and the percent of medicines dispensed was 50% and 66.7% in rural and urban groups respectively. Analysis of the qualitative data extracted from in-depth interviews with internal stakeholders (key informants from regulatory agencies, pharmaceutical industry, academia, pharmacists, and physicians) were summarized utilizing Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Challenges (SWOC) analysis approach. Various viewpoints toward the determinants of patients’ access to medicines were disclosed. Conclusions The Percent of medicines dispensed was insufficient in both rural and urban facilities. There is a need to invest in building trust in generic medicine quality in the government health facilities focusing on improving medicine availability and ensuring enough amounts of high-quality drugs. Although there are drug committees in the two studied PHC facilities for demonstrating the prescribing and dispensing policies, yet the system required to enforce these policies is still deficient.

General Perception Regarding The Generic and Branded Medicines among the Visitors of the Turaif General Hospital

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. 3516-3518
Author(s):  
Nawaf Alotaibi
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
General Hospital ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Generic Drugs ◽  
Generic Medicine ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Generic Medicines ◽  
Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Awareness Programs

Background: The utilization of generic drugs in Saudi Arabia is under development. Many studies concerning generic drugs and their utilization by the consumers and promotion by health care professionals have been conducted in Saudi Arabia. Most of these studies revealed general unawareness of generic medicines among the Saudi people. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the general perception regarding the generic medicines and branded medicines among the visitors of the Turaif general hospital. Methods: This cross‑sectional study was carried out from December 29, 2019, to January 23, 2020, at Turaif General Hospital, Turaif, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia using a questionnaire. The questionnaire was shared with the visitors (N = 527) of the hospital after their agreement, and the data were collected. The obtained data were statistically analyzed by Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS) version 16. Results: The results of this study revealed that more than 50% of the participants were unaware about generic medicines and branded medicines; preferred imported generic medicines over local generics; agreed that the imported generic medicines are of high quality, more effective, and expensive as well. However, almost 50% of the participants were not sure about the quality, efficacy, safety, price, and side effects of the branded medicine. Conclusion: It has been concluded that there is a need to provide awareness programs about branded medicine, imported generic medicine, and locally manufactured generic medicines. Keywords: Branded drugs, Generic drugs, Awareness, Turaif, Saudi Arabia.

scholarly journals A study on the knowledge, attitude & perspectives of final year students of bachelor of pharmacy programme in Malaysian Universities towards the implementation of the separation of drug prescribing & dispensing activity in Malaysia

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (SPL1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Santhanathan S Rajendram ◽  
Muhamad Danial Muhamad Hamdan
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care System ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Institutions Of Higher Learning ◽  
Highly Sensitive ◽  
The Government ◽  
Care System

Dispensing separation in Malaysia has been a widely discussed topic among the medical fraternity. It is a highly sensitive topic as it involves both professional and economic considerations for doctors, pharmacists, and the general public. There has been no decision made thus far but the discussion is ongoing, making a study on this topic very relevant. The subjects of this study, final year students of Bachelor of Pharmacy Programme in Malaysian universities, are chosen to reflect their awareness, preparedness, and knowledge on dispensing separation, which will affect their future in the pharmacy profession. The study was conducted among all 20 Public and Private Institutions of Higher Learning recognized by the Pharmacy Board, Malaysia. This was a cross-sectional study design, and data was collected using a convenience sampling method. The research instrument was an online questionnaire. The first part of the questionnaire covers the demographic information about the respondent, like name, age, gender, and institution. The second part covers the knowledge, awareness and perspectives of respondents towards the implementation of the separation of prescribing and dispensing activities in Malaysia. The final part of the survey focuses on suggestions or problems arising. There were 126 respondents to the survey, way above the 96 respondents needed to make the survey valid. The majority of them are aware of and understand the dispensing separation. Most of them agree that the government should legalize the dispensing separation activities as they believe pharmacists are more knowledgeable and better equipped to dispense drugs. The majority of them believe by implementing dispensing separation, the health care system will be better optimized, and the service will be better. They also believe that patients can accept and adapt to the role of the pharmacist in dispensing medication. The majority of them also agree that the price of medicine will be lowered by the implementation of dispensing separation. Based on the study, these students who are future pharmacists are very knowledgeable on the dispensing separation issue. They believe strongly that the implementation of dispensing separation in Malaysia will bring more beneficial changes to the health care system. The patients will also benefit from this. With such a positive attitude, the implementation of dispensing separation in Malaysia could be imminent  

scholarly journals Beliefs Toward Smoking and COVID-19, and The Pandemic Impact on Smoking Behavior and Quit Intention: Findings from a Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study in Jordan

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ala'a B. Al-Tammemi ◽  
Muna Barakat ◽  
Doa’a B. Al-Tamimi ◽  
Sami A. Alhallaq ◽  
Dima M. Al Hasan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electronic Cigarettes ◽  
Smoking Behavior ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Quit Attempt ◽  
Quit Smoking ◽  
Never Smokers

Background: The relationship between smoking and Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) is still topical with mixed epidemiological evidence. However, the pandemic may affect people’s beliefs towards smoking as well as smoking behavior and quit intentions. Considering high smoking rates in Jordan, our current study aimed to assess the following points in a community-based sample from Jordan: (i) the beliefs that surround smoking and COVID-19, (ii) the pandemic impact on smoking behavior and quit intention. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Jordan utilizing an online questionnaire. The questionnaire comprised 13 items on sociodemographic, health, and smoking profiles, 14 items to assess beliefs surrounding COVID-19 and the use of combustible cigarettes (CC), waterpipe (WP), and electronic cigarettes (EC), and 12 items to assess the pandemic impact on smoking behavior and quit intention. Results: Of 2424 survey respondents who participated in our study there were 1163 never-smokers, 1044 current smokers, and 217 ex-smokers. The mean age of participants was 35.2 years (SD:11.06). Most participants have shown anti-smoking beliefs with around 72.9% believed that WP smoking is related to the risk of contracting COVID-19. Also, 71.7% believed that smoking CC may worsen the COVID-19 clinical course, while 74.1% of respondents believed that smoking has no protective effect against COVID-19. During the pandemic, about 28.1% and 19.3% of current smokers reported increased or reduced smoking, respectively, and many smokers reported their willingness to quit smoking due to the pandemic. Besides, 459 current smokers have expressed their plans/intention to quit smoking during the pandemic, of whom 27.5% (n=126) confirmed that the driving force for their decision is a COVID-19 related reason, such as self-protection (n=123) and protection of family members (=121) which were the most reported ones. Also, around 63 participants have successfully ceased smoking during the pandemic. However, only 22 of them reported that the main driving motivation of their successful quit attempt was the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: Most participants reported anti-smoking beliefs and attitudes during the pandemic. Nevertheless, the double-edged effect of the pandemic on smoking habits should be carefully considered, and reliable anti-smoking measures should be strengthened and sustained in the country.

scholarly journals Awareness and Perception Regarding Corona Virus Disease 19 Outbreak among General Public of Selected Area of Kathmandu

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 67-71
Author(s):  
Kiran Chhetri ◽  
Puspa Kumari Deo
Keyword(s):  
General Public ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
P Value ◽  
Positive Perception ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Negative Perception ◽  
Awareness Campaigns ◽  
The Government

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 is an upcoming contagious respiratory infection caused by a new coronavirus named severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV2) which is transmitted through the respiratory droplets produced by coughing or sneezing of an infected person. The behavior of the general public will probably have an important bearing on the course of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic. Human behavior is influenced by knowledge and perceptions. This paper aims to identify the awareness and perception regarding COVID-19 among general public. Method: A cross sectional descriptive design was used by using structured online questionnaire through Google form. The study was conducted at certain area of Kathmandu. Sample size was 423 with non probability convenience sampling technique. Result: The findings revealed that overall, 44.9% respondents had low, 34.0% had average and 21% had high level of awareness. Likewise, 56.6% had positive perception and 43.2% had negative perception about COVID outbreak. Also 62% respondents had positive and 37.7% had negative perception about prevention of COVID. There is an association between educational status and level of awareness with ‘p’ value lesser than 0.05 at 95% level of confidence. Conclusion: Majority of respondents were not aware about the outbreak of COVID19. Also more than half of respondents had positive perception about outbreak of COVID 19. The effective measures are being taken by the government and the public, still there remains a need for further awareness campaigns and knowledge of safe interventions to combat the spread of disease. Key words: awareness, perception, COVID19, general public.

scholarly journals PRESIDENTIAL SYMPOSIUM: HARNESSING SOCIAL NETWORKS TO OPTIMIZE ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXTS FOR DIVERSE AGING EXPERIENCES

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S583-S583
Author(s):  
Philip A Rozario ◽  
Emily Greenfield ◽  
Nancy Kusmaul
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Disaster Preparedness ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Senior Housing

Abstract Social networks provide opportunities for engagement with others and structure the receipt and provision of emotional, instrumental, informational and appraisal support. Indeed scholars in this field have documented the importance of having strong social networks in influencing older adults’ well-being and quality of life. The three papers in this symposium draw on the convoy model of social relations and ecological model to examine and better understand the micro, mezzo, macro contexts that shape and influence how older people engage with and benefit from their networks in three areas: low-income senior housing communities, urban areas specifically targeting older Latinos with dementia, and disaster preparedness in micropolitan counties in eastern Iowa. The first paper, a cross-sectional study focusing on social connections in senior housing communities, examines levels of social networks, engagement, support and loneliness and their relationship with well-being outcomes. The second paper, a community-based participatory research project, reports an intervention that seeks to train natural helpers in a predominantly Latino urban neighborhood to identify and refer older Latinos with dementia to bilingual assessment services. The third paper, synthesizing findings from interventions targeting network building at the individual and state levels as well as a community-based network analysis, presents ways to strengthen networks at the mezzo and macro levels as well as environmental contexts that enable better disaster preparedness for community-based older adults. These papers will consider practice, policy and research implications in strengthening social networks and engagement to optimize older adults’ well-being in various settings.

Knowledge and perception differences towards generic medicines consumption among consumers

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-26
Author(s):  
Mohd Redhuan Dzulkipli ◽  
Siti Noorsuriani Maon ◽  
Mohamed Azmi Hassali
Keyword(s):  
Generic Drugs ◽  
Generic Medicine ◽  
Generic Medicines ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Good Level ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Level Of Knowledge ◽  
Klang Valley ◽  
The Government ◽  
Amount Of Knowledge

The objective of this study was to evaluate the population behavioural influence towards generic medicines use in a Klang Valley. A self-administered questionnaire in the Klang Valley, Malaysia, was distributed conveniently. A total of 222 respondents have participated in the study (response rate 57.8%). The majority of the respondents (87.7%) have reported considerable amount of knowledge on the generic medicine availability in the market. In comparison of sociodemographic influence, only household size was found to influence the respondent’s knowledge and curiosity. For the perception, there was a statistically significant difference in attitude scores for respondents who had good level of knowledge (M = 3.322, SD = 0.516) and poor level of knowledge (M = 3.011, SD = 0.591) towards generic medicines; t(220) = –4.180, p < 0.05. In terms of subjective norms, data findings indicate a statistically significant difference in scores for respondents who had good level of knowledge (M = 3.456, SD = 0.704) and poor level of knowledge (M = 3.057, SD = 0.616) towards generic medicines; t(220) = –4.393, p < 0.05. Similarly, this study found a statistically significant difference in perceived behavioural control scores for respondents who had good level of knowledge (M = 3.605, SD = 0.548) and poor level of knowledge (M = 3.121, SD = 0.577) towards generic medicines; t(220) = –6.350, p < 0.05. Therefore, these results reveal that good level of knowledge really influence the level of perceptions among consumers of generic medicines. It is imperative that more initiatives to be introduced by the government to promote the practice to prescribe generic drugs to the population. The need to educate both health professionals and patients on the availability of the cheaper and bioequivalence medicine should be put into formality, thus increasing the awareness of the patient of the generic medicine and next reduce the dependency of the costlier innovator brand medicine in the prescription at both public and private healthcare settings.

Price Comparison between Innovator and Generic Medicines Sold by Community Pharmacies in the State of Penang, Malaysia

2008 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asrul Akmal Shafie ◽  
Mohamed Azmi Hassali
Keyword(s):  
Patent Protection ◽  
Generic Drugs ◽  
The State ◽  
Selling Price ◽  
Generic Medicines ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Foreign Products ◽  
Generic Products ◽  
Collection Form ◽  
The Cost

Generic medicines play a key role in the affordability of pharmaceuticals. This study aims to compare price and to document the actual savings that can be achieved if generics are used by consumers in the state of Penang, Malaysia. This is a cross-sectional pilot study on the price of innovator and generic medicines for the 20 most-used medications in Malaysia. Upon consent, 20 retail pharmacies were conveniently selected. A pre-validated data collection form was used to collect their selling price from the community pharmacist. The analysis was limited to medicines in the same dosage form and dose. Those still under patent protection or combined with other active ingredients were excluded from the study. This study found that most innovator drugs are 27–90 per cent more expensive than generics. Some generic drugs are, however, more expensive than their innovator counterparts (40 per cent higher). Some locally produced generics are also more expensive than foreign products. The current findings suggest that consumers can save up to 90 per cent of the cost of their medication by using generic products. Further investigation is needed to explore the causality of the observed differences in price of products in order to increase their accessibility to the general population.

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