An analysis of the decisions regarding the dispensing of generic prescription drugs by selected independent pharmacies

Abstract

The generic prescription drug market is continuously growing as the patents of many originator drugs are expiring . With a potential global market value of US$1 ,2 trillion, many companies compete for market share. The retail pharmacy is the outlet where the products of these companies are sold to the public. However, public access to prescription drugs is restricted by law. As the custodians of medicine, pharmacists have to ensure that medicine is used safely and correctly. By means of generic substitution, the pharmacist can offer patients quality medicine at a cost effective price. Due to the many generic pharmaceutical companies, the pharmacist has plenty of options when it comes to generically substituting medicine. This study attempted to identify the factors that influence the pharmacist to offer a patient the generic drug of one company instead of another. A sample of fifty pharmacists from selected independent retail pharmacies, in the Pretoria region, successfully completed a questionnaire that tested nine factors that were identified as influencing the decisions of pharmacists during the dispensing process. A four-point Likert scale was used to measure the in influences. The influence of medical representatives was rated as very high (3 ,00 standard deviation (SD) 0,78) and also the biggest influence of the nine tested variables. The influences of medical aids (2 ,88 SD 0,87), company reputation (2 ,86 SD 0,87), differentiation between chronic diseases (2,82 SD 1,07) and the pharmacist's personal preference (2,76 SD 0,97) were rated as high influences. Drug price was rated as a slightly high influence (2,62 SD 0,93). Lesser influences were that of drug availability (2,41 SD 1,00) and the influence of the prescribing doctor (2 ,34 SD 0,4). The lowest influence according to our sample is that of the patient (2 ,23 SD 0,94 ). A factor analysis revealed six constructs that tested reliable for the purpose of this study (Cronbach's alpha coefficient of higher than 0,5): Cost of generics (0,791), perceived quality of generic drugs (0,722), product knowledge (0,674), influences of the pharmaceutical company (0 ,642), effect of brand loyalty (0,534) and spur-of-the-momentinfluences (0,563)