Purpose:
In an era of escalating healthcare costs and ageing
population, there is a need for cost-effective measures.
This study was aimed to investigate the knowledge,
perception and attitude of community pharmacists towards
generic medicines.
Methods:
A qualitative methodology was adopted. Snowball sampling
technique was used to identify eight community
pharmacists. Semi-structured interviews were conducted
with the pharmacists until the point of saturation was
obtained. The interviews, which were audio-taped and
transcribed verbatim, were evaluated by thematic content
analysis and further verified by other authors’
analyses.
Results:
Thematic content analysis identified three major themes:
knowledge of generic medicines, perception towards
generic medicines, and attitude towards generic
medicines. All the pharmacists showed good understanding
and positive perception towards generic medicines. Mixed
responses were observed regarding dispensing of locally
manufactured medicines. Low cost was cited as the major
determinant in dispensing locally manufactured generics.
Conclusion:
The current study showed good knowledge and perception
towards generic medicines among community pharmacists in
Karachi, Pakistan. It also highlighted mixed attitudes
towards generic medicine dispensing. A 24-hour mandatory
presence of professionally qualified pharmacists in
community pharmacies can boost the confidence of doctors
in pharmacists and enhance generic substitution.
Keywords:
Community pharmacist, Generic Medicine, Pakistan,
Qualitative methodology
