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Table 3 Perceived advantages and drawbacks

From: “No generics, Doctor!” The perspective of general practitioners in two French regions

 

N

%

95% CI

What do you think are the advantages of generics? (Several possible responses)

 Reduced cost of medicines

258

81.6

78.7–84.3

 Advantages for the health insurance regime

38

12.0

9.9–14.6

 Control of health expenditure

29

9.2

7.2–11.5

 Coherence of prescribing by INNa

18

5.7

4.2–7.6

 Advantages for the patients

6

1.9

1.1–3.2

 Equivalent to the originator

6

1.9

1.1–3.2

 Efficacy equivalent to the originator

5

1.6

0.9–2.8

 Safety equivalent to the originator

0

0

0

 Identical quality to the originator

0

0

0

What do you think are the drawbacks of generics? (Several possible responses)

 Patients may be confused by changes in presentation

148

46.8

43.2–50.5

 Presentation and dosage form differ between laboratories for the same molecule

139

44.0

40.4–47.6

 Patients report more adverse effects

117

37.0

33.6–40.6

 Patients refuse generics

81

25.6

22.6–28.9

 Patients report that generics are less effective

75

23.7

20.8–27.0

 Personal doubt as to equivalence

66

20.9

18.1–24.0

 Poorer treatment compliance by patients

63

19.9

17.2–23.0

 Complexity of prescribing by INN a/name is difficult for the patient

52

16.5

13.9–19.3

 Excipients differ between generics and from the originator

42

13.3

11.0–15.9

 Personal doubts as to efficacy

35

11.1

9.0–13.6

 Doubtful quality

32

10.1

8.1–11.5

 Negative impact on the physician-patient relationship

28

8.9

7.0–11.1

 More frequent allergic manifestations

25

7.9

6.2–10.1

 Personal doubt as to safety of generics

23

7.3

5.6–9.4

 Doubtful manufacturing origin

20

6.3

4.8–8.3

 Complexity of prescribing by INN a/name is difficult for the practitioner

18

5.7

4.2–7.6

 Generics infringe freedom of prescription

13

4.1

2.9–5.8

 Unacceptable demand by the state or health insurance regime

11

3.5

2.4–5.1

 Poor presentation of generics compared with originators

7

2.2

1.4–3.6

  1. aINN, International Non-proprietary Name