Journal of Developing Drugs
Open Access
ISSN: 2329-6631
+44 1478 350008
ISSN: 2329-6631
+44 1478 350008
Tomasz Hermanowski and Aleksandra Drozdowska
Medical University of Warsaw, Poland
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Develop Drugs
This study aims to analyse the opinions, experiences and preferences of Polish patients towards generic drugs. The survey was conducted by means of face-to-face interviews. Respondents were drawn from the general population according to a population structure. The study covered a representative sample of 1000 Poles; the results can be generalized to apply to the Polish population at large. Fifty-two percent of respondents declared to be more often choosing generics, twenty-three percent did not have any specific preferences, and twenty-five percent were more willing to choose brand-name drugs. Past experience with cheaper generic drugs, secondary or lower education, low income and residence in specific regions of Poland � were all significantly associated with an increased willingness to choose generics. Respondents� attitudes towards generics were mostly influenced by the opinions of doctors and chemists. According to respondents, attitudes towards generics among doctors, chemists, family and friends, and in the mass media were mostly positive. There was no relationship between the preference of respondents for generics and factors such as their age, life stage, gender, household size or urban/rural locality. As a result of substituting a brand-name drug with its generic equivalent, 72% of respondents reported that they had not noticed any difference in drugs effectiveness; 21% had experienced a reduced effectiveness of treatment or increased side effects at least once; and 7% claimed the generic worked better. The majority of respondents who used cheaper substitutes claimed that generics represented good quality. In consideration of the foregoing, awareness-raising campaigns may be recommended, supported by a variety of systemic solutions and tools to encourage generic substitution.