title: Comparison of the Effects of a Brand-name Drug and Its Generic Drug on the Quality of Life of Alzheimer's Disease Patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The pharmacological effects of generic (GE) donepezil are the same as Aricept, its brand-name counterpart. However, little is known as to whether these two drugs provide the same quality of life (QOL). The study subjects were patients with Alzheimer's disease who were taking donepezil hydrochloride tablets, and were selected by visiting either the local pharmacies or the patients' homes. We chose the brand-name drug Aricept and its GE form donepezil to investigate, from a long-term caregiver's perspective, the influence of both drugs on the patients' QOL.
  
  
  METHODS
  An EuroQol-5 Dimension (EQ-5D) was used to assess the QOL of patients with Alzheimer's disease, before and after various Aricept and/or donepezil regimens. Patients were divided into four groups: first time users of Aricept (n=43), first time users of GE donepezil (n=45), users refilling previous prescriptions of Aricept (n=51), and users switching from Aricept to GE donepezil (n=51).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average change in the EQ-5D utility indices rose significantly in the patients starting a new regimen of Aricept and its GE drug. The patients continuing an existing regimen of Aricept showed no significant differences, even after Aricept was switched to a GE drug.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The QOL of patients starting a new regimen of Aricept and its GE drug improved. The QOL was maintained upon switching to the GE drug form.
authors.affiliation: NPO Japanese Drug Organization of Appropriate Use and Research, Japan.|Sugi Pharmacy Co., Ltd., Japan.|Pharmaceutical Hospital Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Japan.
authors.forename: Mikio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakakibara
authors.affiliation: NPO Japanese Drug Organization of Appropriate Use and Research, Japan.|Sugi Pharmacy Co., Ltd., Japan.|Department of Regional Pharmaceutical Care and Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Mitsuhiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kido
authors.affiliation: Sugi Pharmacy Co., Ltd., Japan.|Department of Regional Pharmaceutical Care and Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kuribayashi
authors.affiliation: NPO Japanese Drug Organization of Appropriate Use and Research, Japan.|Sugi Pharmacy Co., Ltd., Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.affiliation: Department of Drug Policy and Management, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Ataru
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Igarashi
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical Hospital Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kamei
authors.affiliation: NPO Japanese Drug Organization of Appropriate Use and Research, Japan.|Department of Regional Pharmaceutical Care and Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshitaka
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nabeshima
keywords: Alzheimer disease; Donepezil hydrochloride; EuroQol-5 Dimension; Generic drugs; Quality of life