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A nationwide study on generic medicines substitution practices of Australian community pharmacists and patient acceptance

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  • Chong, Chee Ping
  • March, Geoff
  • Clark, Alice
  • Gilbert, Andrew
  • Hassali, Mohamed Azmi
  • Bahari, Mohd Baidi

Abstract

Objectives This study evaluated Australian community pharmacists' rate of generic medicine substitution, patient acceptance of generic substitution and cost-savings achieved for patients from substitution.Method A national stratified sample of 500 Australian pharmacies was randomly selected from different geographical areas. The data of the first 25 original PBS prescription items dispensed on one working day eligible for generic substitution were collected from each pharmacy.Results Responses were received from 82 pharmacies with a response rate of 16.4%. The pharmacists recommended generics for 96.4% (1461/1515) of the prescription items which were eligible for substitution. The generic substitution recommendation rate in urban (98.7%) and rural areas (98.0%) was significantly higher than remote areas (91.6%). Conversely, patients' acceptance in remote areas (84.5%) was significantly higher than rural (78.6%) and urban areas (73.2%). Patients with chronic diseases demonstrated significantly lower acceptability (72.4%) than patients with acute conditions (81.6%). Through acceptance of substitution, the patients' medicines expenditure reduced by around 21%.Conclusion Australian community pharmacists demonstrated a high rate of recommending generic substitution. However, to optimize the generic medicines utilization, patients' acceptance requires further improvement.

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  • Chong, Chee Ping & March, Geoff & Clark, Alice & Gilbert, Andrew & Hassali, Mohamed Azmi & Bahari, Mohd Baidi, 2011. "A nationwide study on generic medicines substitution practices of Australian community pharmacists and patient acceptance," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(2), pages 139-148, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:hepoli:v:99:y:2011:i:2:p:139-148
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    1. Andersson, Karolina & Bergstrom, Gina & Petzold, Max G. & Carlsten, Anders, 2007. "Impact of a generic substitution reform on patients' and society's expenditure for pharmaceuticals," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(2-3), pages 376-384, May.
    2. Heikkila, Reeta & Mantyselka, Pekka & Hartikainen-Herranen, Kaisa & Ahonen, Riitta, 2007. "Customers' and physicians' opinions of and experiences with generic substitution during the first year in Finland," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(3), pages 366-374, August.
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    2. Christine Jacomet & Clotilde Allavena & Fleur Peyrol & Bruno Pereira & Laurence Morand Joubert & Haleh Bagheri & Laurent Cotte & Rodolphe Garaffo & Laurent Gerbaud & Pierre Dellamonica, 2015. "Perception of Antiretroviral Generic Medicines: One-Day Survey of HIV-Infected Patients and Their Physicians in France," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(2), pages 1-13, February.
    3. Sara McMillan & Fiona Kelly & Adem Sav & Elizabeth Kendall & Michelle King & Jennifer Whitty & Amanda Wheeler, 2015. "Consumers and Carers Versus Pharmacy Staff: Do Their Priorities for Australian Pharmacy Services Align?," The Patient: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Springer;International Academy of Health Preference Research, vol. 8(5), pages 411-422, October.
    4. Widiane Ferchakhi & Jean-Jack Cegarra, 2014. "L'influence du capital marque sur le risque perçu de la substitution d'un médicament de marque par un médicament générique : proposition d'un modèle," Post-Print hal-00955752, HAL.
    5. Guhl, Dennis & Stargardt, Tom & Schneider, Udo & Fischer, Katharina E., 2016. "Dispensing behaviour of pharmacies in prescription drug markets," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(2), pages 190-197.
    6. Wong, John Q. & Baclay, J. Richelcyn M. & Duque, Richelle G. & Roque, Patricia Margarita S. & Serrano, Grace Kathleen T. & Tumlos, Jenina Olivia A. & Ronsing, Aisha-Aziza A., 2014. "The Prevalence of Philippine Prescribing, Dispensing, and Use Behavior in Relation to Generic Drugs and their Risk Factors," Discussion Papers DP 2014-17, Philippine Institute for Development Studies.
    7. Takizawa, Osamu & Urushihara, Hisashi & Tanaka, Shiro & Kawakami, Koji, 2015. "Price difference as a predictor of the selection between brand name and generic statins in Japan," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 119(5), pages 612-619.
    8. Else-Lydia Toverud & Katrin Hartmann & Helle Håkonsen, 2015. "A Systematic Review of Physicians’ and Pharmacists’ Perspectives on Generic Drug Use: What are the Global Challenges?," Applied Health Economics and Health Policy, Springer, vol. 13(1), pages 35-45, August.

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