ArticleBMJ open2019
Medication safety risks to be managed in national implementation of automatic substitution of biological medicines: a qualitative study.
Article in BMJ open, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 17 citations in OpenAlex.
- Barriers and Enablers Affecting the Uptake of Biosimilar Medicines Viewed Through the Lens of Actor Network Theory: A Systematic Review.BioDrugs : clinical immunotherapeutics, biopharmaceuticals and gene therapy · 2024Pooled it
- Is There Any Research Evidence Beyond Surveys and Opinion Polls on Automatic Substitution of Biological Medicines? A Systematic Review.BioDrugs : clinical immunotherapeutics, biopharmaceuticals and gene therapy · 2021Pooled it
- Rheumatology nurses' perspectives of automatic substitution of biological medicines in community pharmacies and its safety: a qualitative study.BMC health services research · 2026Article
- Assessing Nurses' Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Biosimilars: Results from a National Survey.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Considerations for Biosimilar Adoption in Pediatrics: A Scoping Review.Pharmaceutical medicine · 2026Article
- Patient knowledge and acceptance of the upcoming automatic substitution of biological medicines in community pharmacies: survey of Finnish patients with inflammatory bowel disease and psoriasis.BMC health services research · 2025Article
- Article
- Medication Counselling on Unlicensed Medicines Should Be Improved - Results from a Finnish Survey for Patients and Pharmacy Staff.Integrated pharmacy research & practice · 2024Article
- Biosimilars Would Reduce Health Care Costs But Are Yet Poorly Known - Patient Survey Study Among Biological Medicine Users.Integrated pharmacy research & practice · 2024Article
- Regulatory Information and Guidance on Biosimilars and Their Use Across Europe: A Call for Strengthened One Voice Messaging.Frontiers in medicine · 2022Article
- Article
- Knowledge and perception of biosimilars in ambulatory care: a survey among Belgian community pharmacists and physicians.Journal of pharmaceutical policy and practice · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesTo explore relevant Finnish stakeholders' perceptions on the automatic substitution of biological medicines with particular focus on medication safety and issues that need to be considered to create an appropriate model for automatic biological product substitution.
designQualitative interview study.
methodsData were collected in semistructured individual (n=17), pair (n=7) and group (n=8) interviews (32 interviews, 62 participants) in 2018. Participants represented a wide range of stakeholders involved in the pharmacotherapy process: community pharmacists (n=8 interviews), authorities (n=7), prescribers (n=7), pharmaceutical industry and wholesalers (n=6), patients/customers (n=2), hospital pharmacists (n=1) and nurses (n=1). Inductive content analysis was performed.
resultsBenefits of automatic substitution were identified as cost savings, more patients receiving biological treatments and enhanced continuity of treatment. Six major risk categories were identified: (1) the patient's medication is interrupted or complicated temporarily or permanently, (2) the patient uses two products with the same active substance, (3) the traceability of the product is compromised, (4) the patient cannot get into healthcare in case of problems, (5) the patient does not receive substitution-related advice from a pharmacy and (6) the patient is distracted by the support material he/she receives. Several risk mitigation measures were commonly mentioned: medication and device counselling by pharmacists (n=23), infrequent substitution interval (n=15) and better knowledge on biosimilars among healthcare providers (n=13).
conclusionAutomatic substitution of biologics is associated with risks that should be prospectively managed before implementing the procedure. The substitution also introduces new tasks and communication needs to those involved in actual medication use process, particularly to community pharmacists who will be responsible for substitution and counselling the patients.
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