Knowledge, perception and acceptance of generic drugs in the general Lebanese population: A cross-sectional survey among adults.

BACKGROUND

Many governments encouraged generic use to enhance health equality and minimise health expenditure. The lack of knowledge and acceptance of generic medicines are the main barriers to their use.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to assess population knowledge and perception towards generic drugs, identify their primary sources of information and examine which variables are independently related to their acceptance.

DESIGN

An observational cross-sectional study was performed targeting the Lebanese adult population.

METHODS

Overall, 385 patients participated in the study. Data were collected using a uniform survey from six public healthcare centres.

RESULTS

The participants reported a distrust towards generic drugs; they either said that they were not as effective as the brand (36.9%), were of less quality than the brand (38.5%) or had more side effects than the brand (38.4%). Around 52% said they would never buy a generic drug, and two-thirds (68.6%) preferred using a brand drug over a generic one. After adjusting for socio-demographics, a high income (odds ratio (OR) = 3.7), knowing that brands and generics have the same active ingredients (OR = 2.28) and that brands and generics were equally effective (OR = 6.46) were the strongest independent predictors for the willingness to buy generic drugs.

CONCLUSION

A lack of knowledge and misperceptions about generic drugs limited the use of generic drugs, and therefore must be addressed.