title: Generic drugs in Brazil: known by many, used by few.
abstract: This study evaluated knowledge and use of generic drugs in a population-based sample of adults from a southern Brazilian city. The outcomes were: the proportion of generics in total medicines used; theoretical and practical knowledge about generics; and strategies used to buy medicines on medical prescriptions. The recall period for drug utilization was 15 days. The proportion of generics in total medicines was 3.9%. While 86.0% knew that generics cost less and 70.0% that the quality is similar to brand name medicines, only 57.0% knew any packaging characteristics that distinguish generics from other medicines. The highest proportion of generic drug utilization was in the antimicrobial pharmacological group. A brand name medicine (with a brand similar to the generic name) was mistakenly classified as a generic through photos by 48.0% of the interviewees. Among subjects who bought medicines in the 15-day period, 18.9% reported buying a generic, but this result should be interpreted with caution, because the population frequently fails to differentiate between generics and other medicines.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Epidemiologia, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, Brasil. andreabertoldi@terra.com.br
authors.forename: Andréa D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Bertoldi
authors.forename: Aluísio J D
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Barros
authors.forename: Pedro C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Hallal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016568:Drugs, Generic / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
chemical_list: D016568:Drugs, Generic