Pharmacists' Views on Generic Medicines: A Review of the Literature

Abstract

The aims of this paper were to identify and review the literature on pharmacists' views and practices on the use of generic medicines. Using appropriate keywords pertaining to the subject matter, an extensive literature search was undertaken using indexing services available in the authors' institution library. These electronic databases were searched for full-text papers written in the English language during the period from 1980 until September 2007. Based on this search, 13 studies were identified. The majority of studies are from the United States, with few from Europe and Asia. All retrieved studies, except one, used quantitative methodology. Most of the studies showed that pharmacists' views and behaviours towards generic medicine utilisation were affected by economic considerations, quality and bioequivalency of generic medications, drug therapeutic class, and other actors (the physicians, the patients, and public health officials). This review suggests that although in general pharmacists were positively inclined towards generic medication use, they have some considerations that determine to what extent they will support generic medicine use. These are economic, scientific, and policy-related considerations that are likely to remain matters for discussion in the future among pharmacists and their professional organisations.