title: Perception of antiretroviral generic medicines: one-day survey of HIV-infected patients and their physicians in France.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In the interest of cost effectiveness, switching antiretroviral brand name medications to generics is recommended in France since 2013. The study objective was to evaluate the perception of generics per se and antiretroviral generics in HIV-infected patients and their hospital physicians.
  
  
  RESULTS
  556 out of 703 (79%) adult HIV+ outpatients and 116 physicians in 33 clinics were included in a multicentric cross-sectional survey performed in September 2013. Patients completed a self-questionnaire on their perception and acceptability of generics. Physicians completed a questionnaire on their acceptability of switching antiretroviral to generic. Socio-demographic data, medical history and HIV history were collected. Among the 556 patients with a median HIV duration of 13 years, 77% were France native, 59% in active employment, 100% covered by social insurance, 95% on antiretroviral therapy. Seventy-six percent of the patients accepted generics and 55% trusted them overall. Antiretroviral generics were accepted by 44% of them but only by 17% if the pill burden was going to increase. The factor significantly associated with acceptability of antiretroviral generics was acceptance of generics per se (p<0.001). Among the 116 physicians following a median of 100 HIV-patients/year, 75% would prescribe generics, dropping to 26% if the combo had to be broken. Factors significantly associated with willingness to prescribe antiretroviral generics were the absence of concern regarding the chemical entity (OR = 0.33), being aware that the patient would accept generics for other pathologies (OR = 2.04) and would accept antiretroviral generics (OR = 1.94). No factor related to sociodemographic conditions, HIV status or comorbidities was associated with the acceptability of antiretroviral generics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acceptability of antiretroviral generics in this French population was mostly dictated by the patient's and physician's knowledge and use of generics overall. It should be improved with an efficient information of both patients and physicians.
authors: Service des Maladies infectieuses et tropicales, Hôpital Gabriel Montpied, CHU Clermont Ferrand, Clermont-Ferrand, France.
authors: Christine
authors: C
authors: Jacomet
authors: Service des Maladies infectieuses et tropicales, CHU Hôtel-Dieu, Nantes, France.
authors: Clotilde
authors: C
authors: Allavena
authors: Santé Publique, EA 4681 PEPRADE, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Clermont-Ferrand, France.
authors: Fleur
authors: F
authors: Peyrol
authors: Service de Biostatistiques, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Clermont-Ferrand, France.
authors: Bruno
authors: B
authors: Pereira
authors: Laboratoire de Virologie, INSERM-UMR_S 1136, CHU Saint Antoine, Paris, France.
authors: Laurence Morand
authors: LM
authors: Joubert
authors: Pharmacologie Médicale et Clinique, INSERM U1027, CHU Toulouse, Toulouse, France.
authors: Haleh
authors: H
authors: Bagheri
authors: Service des Maladies infectieuses et tropicales, INSERM U1052, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France.
authors: Laurent
authors: L
authors: Cotte
authors: Pharmacologie Clinique, CHU Pasteur, Nice, France.
authors: Rodolphe
authors: R
authors: Garaffo
authors: Santé Publique, EA 4681 PEPRADE, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Clermont-Ferrand, France.
authors: Laurent
authors: L
authors: Gerbaud
authors: Service des Maladies infectieuses et tropicales, CHU de l'Archet, Nice, France.
authors: Pierre
authors: P
authors: Dellamonica
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003710:Demography; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D016568:Drugs, Generic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*; D010465:Perception; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D016568:Drugs, Generic