Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 31, 2025
An In Vitro Dissolution Determination of Multi-Index Components in Tibetan Medicine Rhodiola Granules
Published on: November 4, 2022
A nationwide survey exploring physicians' and pharmacists' knowledge, awareness and perceptions regarding generic
Jinghan Qu1, Wei Zuo1, Roxane L Took2
1Department of Pharmacy, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College Hospital, No.1 Shuaifuyuan Street, Beijing, Dongcheng District, China.
Background:
Generic medicines substitution is an important means to control rapid growth of pharmaceutical expenditures for the healthcare system in China. Acceptance and utilization of generic medicines is highly influenced by healthcare providers' perceptions. This study aimed to compare the knowledge, awareness and perceptions of generic medicines between physicians and pharmacists in China.
Methods:
We used an online, cross-sectional survey across China. The questionnaire explored four sections: demographic characteristics, assessment of the participants' knowledge and awareness of generic medicines, perceptions of generic medicines and generic substitution practices. Chi-square or Mann-Whitney-U tests were applied to compare differences between physicians and pharmacists. P-values < 0.05 were considered significant.
Results:
A total of 1644 physicians and 4187 pharmacists participated. Most physicians (82.8%, n = 1362) and pharmacists (89.8%, n = 3760) correctly identified the definition of generic medicines. A similar percentage of physicians and pharmacists agreed that approved generic medicines are as effective (64.1% vs 68.2%) or safe (63.8% vs 69.1%) as brand-name medicines. Most physicians and pharmacists (67.6% vs 71.0%) supported the policy of generic substitution. In practice, 79.4% (n = 1305) of physicians reported that they had prescribed generic medicines. More than 78% of respondents reported an obvious increase in the number of generic medicines prescribed in their medical institutions. The majority of physicians and pharmacists identified lack of trust regarding efficacy and safety of generic medicines and the difficulty of changing patients' preference as top challenges in generic substitution.
Conclusions:
Both physicians and pharmacists surveyed had adequate knowledge of generic medicines, and hold positive attitude towards generics and generic substitution. Efficacy and safety are key factors related to prescribing or dispensing generic medicines. Various policies and regulations should be taken to encourage successful generic substitution.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:02Prescription, Nonprescription and Orphan Drugs
The misuse and addiction to prescription drugs is a growing problem that can affect people of all age groups, specifically teenagers. This can happen when prescription medications are used in ways not intended by the prescriber, such as taking someone else's prescription or using medication for...
01:17Drug Nomenclature
01:19Pharmacovigilance
This process, termed pharmacovigilance, aims to detect, evaluate, and minimize harmful effects related to medication use. The data collection for pharmacovigilance depends on spontaneous reporting systems, where healthcare professionals or patients voluntarily report suspected ADRs.
In some cases, there...
01:15Drug Abuse and Addiction: Pharmacological Phenomena
01:16Bioequivalence: Overview
00:59Model-Independent Approaches for Pharmacokinetic Data: Noncompartmental Analysis
One important characteristic of noncompartmental analyses is that drug exposure increases proportionally with increasing doses. This...