Results from a survey of 1,000 prescription receiving Americans found 41% had unanswered questions after being given a prescription, with medication safety (53%), potential side effects (61%) and cost (54%) among the top concerns. In a survey conducted by OnePoll:
76% Were not aware of other available treatments
37% Felt they had little-to-no control over what was provided by their pharmacy
72% Did their own research about prescriptions provided by their doctor
Most respondents (62%) understood that generics and authorized generics are less expensive versions of brand name medications, but 53% still had questions about the safety or efficacy of a generic versus a name-brand medication. Also, 70% did not know if they would be given a brand name medication, generic, or authorized generic when filling a prescription. Only 37% of respondents were aware that authorized generics and brand name medications have an identical formula, and more than 70% did not know that authorized generics are not the same as generics. Survey results showed that 26% of respondents reported noticing a difference when switching from a name brand medication to a generic.
Research has shown that when patients switch from a branded medicine to a generic, there can be a drop in treatment adherence, often due to the patient’s unfamiliarity with the generic drugs’ color, shape, and size.
Furthermore, a survey of 500 prescribers revealed strong confidence in authorized generics; 64% said they would be more comfortable taking an authorized generic prescription drug produced by a brand-name company, rather than a copy of the drug produced by another company. Authorized generics offer both patients and doctors familiarity and predictability with the drug and how the patient will respond to it. Because they use identical formulations, authorized generics will have the same effect, with the same benefits and potential side effects as the name-brand drug.
For more information, patients and healthcare professionals can visit authorizedgenerics.com.
