Background: Health-care expenses are booming nowadays. India is one of the biggest generic medicine manufacturers in all over the world still generic medicines are less prescribed in India. In the USA, 86% prescriptions contain generic medicines which saved 1.5 trillion dollars of USA consumers in the past decade. Less knowledge of generic medicine is correlated to less prescribing. Previously, studies were carried out on pharmacist and general practitioner to assess knowledge, attitude, and practice of generic medicine among them. Such study was not done on MBBS students who will be future doctors.
Aims and Objectives: This study was planned with the aim of assessing knowledge, attitude, and practice of medical students toward generic medicines.
Materials and Methods: This was a questioner-based cross-sectional survey kind of study. This preformed and pre-evaluated questioner was given to third semester of second year MBBS students. Questioner contains 10 items for knowledge, 10 items for attitude, and 2 items for practice. These are multiple choice kind of questions. Data were analyzed by MS Excel.
Results: In this study, 110 students participated. Only 14.55% of students said that generic drugs only be marketed after expiry of patent of innovator drug. Only 27.27% of students said that generic drug manufacturer need not to repeat the preclinical studies and clinical trials as required by innovator medicines. Most of the students (65.45%) know that innovator drugs are more costly than their generic substitute. Only 23.64% of students were aware about the Government of India scheme called Jan Aushadhi whose sole purpose to set up generic drug stores in the country. Just 30.91% of participants know that patients or pharmacists are not legally empowered to sell or purchase generic medicines over innovator medicine. There were a good number of participants (54.55%) not agree with Generic drugs cost less because they are inferior to innovator (patented) drug. About 88.18% of students gave the opinion that there should be a training program to increase the awareness regarding generic drugs among doctors and patients. Nearly 81.82% of students gave the opinion that there should be a generic medicine store at every government hospital. 80% of participants had not read any article regarding the comparison of safety and efficacy of generic versus innovator (patented) drugs.
Conclusion: This study showed that medical students having good knowledge, attitude about safety, efficacy, and cost of generic medicines. Students know less about government scheme such as Jan Aushadhi. They also support that patients and pharmacist are legally empowered to sell or purchase generic medicine in place of costly innovator medicines. Students also agree with there should be some change in policy by medical insurance company to improve generic drugs prescribing.
Key words: Generic Medicine; Innovator (Patented) Drug; Jan Aushadhi
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