Exploring the opinions and experiences of patients with generic substitution: a representative study of Polish society

BACKGROUND: Generics have the potential to contain drug therapy costs; successful implementation of generic substitution policy largely depends on consumers' willingness to choose generics. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to analyse the opinions, experiences and preferences of Polish patients towards generic medicines. SETTING: The study was performed in Poland. METHOD: The survey was conducted in June 2013 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 1,000 Poles; the results can be generalized to apply to the Polish population at large. RESULTS: 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 medicines. Past experience with cheaper generic medicines, 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 pharmacists. According to respondents, attitudes towards generics among doctors, pharmacists, 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 drug 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 or very good quality. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrates that, when choosing medicines, Poles rely mainly on the opinions of their doctors and pharmacists. Therefore, it is recommended that: (1) the option of using generics be promoted when writing prescriptions, and (2) the obligation on pharmacists to inform customers of their option to purchase generics be enforced.