Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31666059›Full record

ArticleBMC health services research2019

Representative sample survey on factors determining the Czech physicians' awareness of generic drugs and substitution.

J Maly, E Zimcikova, J Babica, A A Kubena, J Kostriba, K Mala-Ladova

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC health services research, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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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.

J MalyFaculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Kralove, Department of Social and Clinical Pharmacy, Charles University, Akademika Heyrovskeho 1203, 500 05, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.
E ZimcikovaFaculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Kralove, Department of Social and Clinical Pharmacy, Charles University, Akademika Heyrovskeho 1203, 500 05, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.
J BabicaFaculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Kralove, Czech Pharmaceutical Museum, Charles University, Akademika Heyrovskeho 1203, 500 05, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.
A A KubenaFaculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Kralove, Department of Social and Clinical Pharmacy, Charles University, Akademika Heyrovskeho 1203, 500 05, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.
J KostribaFaculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Kralove, Department of Social and Clinical Pharmacy, Charles University, Akademika Heyrovskeho 1203, 500 05, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.
K Mala-LadovaFaculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Kralove, Department of Social and Clinical Pharmacy, Charles University, Akademika Heyrovskeho 1203, 500 05, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic. ladovaka@faf.cuni.cz.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6554-7339

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundGeneric drugs and generic substitution belong to the tools by which healthcare costs may be reduced. However, low awareness and reluctance among healthcare professionals towards generic drugs may negatively affect the rational use of generic substitution.

methodsThe study aimed to analyze opinions and attitudes towards generic drugs and generic substitution among Czech physicians including their understanding of generic substitution legislative rules and the physicians´ previous experience in this field. Using random allocation, 1551 physicians practicing in the Czech Republic were asked to participate in the sociological representative survey conducted from November to December 2016, through face-to-face structured interviews comprising 19 items. Factor analysis as well as reliability analysis of items focused on legal rules in the context of physicians' awareness were applied with p-value of < 0.05 as statistically significant.

resultsOf a total of 1237 (79.8%) physicians (43.7% males; mean age 47.5 ± 11.6 years, 46.3% general practitioners) 24.8% considered generic drugs to be less safe, especially those with specialized qualification (p < 0.01). However, only 4.4% of the physicians noticed any drug-related problems, including adverse drug reactions associated with generic substitution. The majority of physicians felt neutrally about performing generic substitution in pharmacies, nor they expressed any opinion on characteristics of generics, even though a better understanding of the legislation and higher need of accordance of substituted drugs were associated with more positive attitudes towards generic substitution (p < 0.05). Physicians showed low knowledge score of legislative rules (mean 3.9 ± 1.6 from maximum 9), nevertheless they overestimated the law, as they considered some rules valid, even if the law does not require them. Cronbach alpha of all legislative rules that regulate generic substitution increased from 0.318 to 0.553 if two optional rules (physician consent and strength equivalence) would be taken into account.

conclusionsThere is no sufficient awareness of generic drugs and generic substitution related issues among Czech physicians, although a deeper knowledge of legislation improves their perception about providing generic substitution.

Indexed as

Drugs, GenericDrug SubstitutionHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeAdultCzech RepublicFemaleHumansLegislation, DrugMaleMiddle AgedPhysiciansSurveys and QuestionnairesDrugs, GenericCzech RepublicGeneric drugsGeneric substitutionPhysicianRepresentative survey

Identifiers

PMID31666059
PMCPMC6822393

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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.