This paper investigates the determinants of the prices of branded prescription medicines across different regulatory settings and health care systems, taking into account their launch date, patent status, market dynamics and the regulatory context in which they diffuse. By using volume-weighted price indices, this paper analyzes price levels for a basket of prescription medicines and their diff...

OBJECTIVE To investigate negative perceptions about generic medicines and evaluate the proportions of lay people, doctors and pharmacists who hold these perceptions. DESIGN A systematic review of observational studies. DATA SOURCES MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycInfo and Scopus. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA Quantitative data from cross-sectional and prospective studies published in English after 1980, usin...

BACKGROUND There is concern regarding the irrational production, prescription and use of drugs in India. This study aimed to describe the quality of prescriptions by medical practitioners, including both the layout of the prescription and the type and number of drugs prescribed. MATERIALS AND METHODS A survey of all prescriptions dispensed at a busy pharmacy in the state of Goa, India, was ca...

BACKGROUND In 2011, Manitoba implemented a province-wide program of physician detailing and free sampling for generic atorvastatin to increase use of this generic statin. We examined the impact of this unique combined program of detailing and sampling for generic atorvastatin on the use and cost of statin medicines, market share of generic atorvastatin, the choice of starting statin for new use...

Payers in Europe and North America have embraced generic medicines because of their perceived cost advantages in relation to branded products and the savings they create to health insurance. A robust body of evidence exists to date pointing at savings achieved through genericization. All stakeholders accept that realizing these savings is desirable as health systems face continuous cost pressur...

There is good evidence supporting the efficacy of standard doses of aspirin, paracetamol, ibuprofen, naproxen, and diclofenac, all of which are available as over-the-counter (OTC) medicines in some part of the world. There is no good evidence for most branded combination products, though it is likely that additional analgesic effect is produced by codeine. Combinations of ibuprofen and paraceta...

Introduction: A generic drug is a pharmaceutical product that commonly used in place of branded medicine. Generic medications have the same therapeutic effect as their counterparts. The utilisation drugs critical for lowering rising health-care costs, and pharmacy students must thorough understanding medications. Methodology: pre...

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to evaluate general practitioners' (GPs) perceptions regarding access to medicines in New Zealand. DESIGN Qualitative. SETTING Primary care. PARTICIPANTS GPs. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES GPs' views and perceptions. RESULTS GPs were of the view that the current range of medicines available in New Zealand was reasonable; however, it was acknowledged t...

INTRODUCTION Patients' perceptions of side effect risks are important influences on their medicine-taking behaviour. A previous survey of Patient Information Leaflets (PILs) showed considerable variation in the terms used to communicate risks. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to assess the methods used to describe risk of side effects in recent PILs and to compare them with PILs sampled in 2006. ...

The government is planning to introduce free generic and essential medicines in public health facilities. Most people in India buy healthcare from the private sector, a compulsion that accounts for a high proportion of healthcare-related expenditure. To reduce the burden of healthcare costs, the government must improve availability and affordability of generic and essential medicines in the mar...