Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29121918›Full record

Observational studyBMC health services research2017

"No generics, Doctor!" The perspective of general practitioners in two French regions.

Béatrice Riner, Adèle Bussy, Jeannie Hélène-Pelage, Nycrees Moueza, Sébastien Lamy, Philippe Carrère

Abstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in BMC health services research, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
–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

9 citing papers in PubMed.

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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

6 authors.

Béatrice RinerDepartment of General Practice, University of the French West Indies, Pointe-à-Pitre, France.
Adèle BussyDepartment of General Practice, University of the French West Indies, Pointe-à-Pitre, France.
Jeannie Hélène-PelageDepartment of General Practice, University of the French West Indies, Pointe-à-Pitre, France.
Nycrees MouezaDepartment of General Practice, University of the French West Indies, Pointe-à-Pitre, France.
Sébastien LamyDepartment of Clinical Pharmacology, Toulouse University Hospital, Toulouse, France.
Philippe CarrèreDepartment of General Practice, University of the French West Indies, Pointe-à-Pitre, France. philippecarrere@gmail.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundGeneric medicines are essential to controlling health expenditures. Their market share is still small in France. The discourse and practices of prescribers may play a major role in their use. The purpose of this study was to explore the knowledge, attitudes and practices of general practitioners (GPs) toward generic medicines in two French regions with the lowest penetration rate of these products.

methodsAn observational study was carried out from October 2015 to February 2016 in Guadeloupe and Martinique. The first qualitative phase involved a diversified sample of 14 GPs who underwent semi-structured interviews. The second phase involved a random sample of 316 GPs (response rate = 74%) who were administered a structured questionnaire developed from the results of the first phase.

resultsSeventy-eight percent of the participants defined a generic drug as a drug containing an active substance identical to a brand-name drug, but only 11% considered generic drugs to be equivalent to brand-name drugs, and the same proportion believed that the generic drugs were of doubtful quality. The primary recognized advantage of generic medicines was their lower cost (82%). The main drawbacks cited were the variability of their presentation (44%), the confusion that they caused for some patients (47%), frequent allegations of adverse side effects (37%) and a lack of efficacy (24%), and frequent refusal by patients (26%). Seventy-four percent of the participants stated that they adapted their prescribing practices to the situation, and of this group, 47% prescribed the originator product simply on demand.

conclusionMost surveyed GPs were not hostile towards generic medicines. They were caught between the requirements of health insurance regimes and the opposition of numerous users and suggested that the patient information provided by health authorities should be improved and that drug composition and packaging should be made uniform.

Indexed as

General PractitionersPatient PreferenceAdultAttitudeDrugs, GenericFemaleGuadeloupeHumansInterviews as TopicMaleMartiniqueMiddle AgedSurveys and QuestionnairesDrugs, GenericDrug substitutionHealth behaviorHealth expenditurePrimary health care

Identifiers

PMID29121918
PMCPMC5680768

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

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.