Evidence map›Paper›PMID 19139616›Full record

ArticleAnnals of Saudi medicine

Generic drug prescribing in central Saudi Arabia: perceptions and attitudes of physicians.

Abdullah A Alghasham

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Annals of Saudi medicine. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
20citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

20 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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  13. Perception and attitude of physicians toward local generic medicines in Saudi Arabia: A questionnaire-based study.Saudi pharmaceutical journal : SPJ : the official publication of the Saudi Pharmaceutical Society · 2015
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  14. Factors influencing community pharmacist decision to dispense generic or branded medicines; Eastern Province, Alahsa, Saudi Arabia.Saudi pharmaceutical journal : SPJ : the official publication of the Saudi Pharmaceutical Society · 2015
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

1 author.

Abdullah A AlghashamDepartment of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine, Qassim University, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia. ghasham@ksu.edu.sa

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

objectivesPhysicians play a key role in generic drug prescribing, but their behavior is affected by many determinants. We examined physician practices and attitudes and other factors influencing the prescription of generic drugs.

methodsA self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information from a random sample of physicians from different settings in central Saudi Arabia. Data were analyzed to describe all variables and test any significant difference between groups of physicians.

resultsThe study included 772 physicians from different affiliations. The majority of physicians (n=741, 96%) reported that they knew enough about the therapeutic value of generic drugs. The majority (75%) reported that they knew the price differences, and this knowledge helped 72% of them to switch to generic prescription medication. Most physicians (79%) support generic substitution, but they indicated that there are certain clinical situations where they prefer to use brand name drugs. Physicians reported receiving visits and samples more frequently from representatives of brand name companies. Physicians did not report a significant difference in pressure from patients to prescribe either generic or brand drugs. Most physicians had a positive attitude towards the government role in assuring the quality of local drug products (80%) and in enforcing physicians to prescribe generic drugs (85%).

conclusionPhysicians face competing forces to prescribe either brand name or generic drugs. The majority support generic drug substitution. There are multiple factors that support prescription of generic drugs.

Indexed as

Attitude of Health PersonnelAdultDrug IndustryDrugs, GenericFemaleHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeHumansMaleMiddle AgedPhysiciansPractice Patterns, Physicians'Saudi ArabiaSurveys and QuestionnairesDrugs, Generic

Identifiers

PMID19139616
PMCPMC2813610

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.