Aceitação, conhecimento e uso de medicamentos genéricos por pacientes ambulatoriais do Hospital Universitário Walter Cantídio (HUWC)

Abstract

Generic drugs were created in 1999 through the Law nº 9787, which define they are similar to brand name drugs, being interchangeable with it, after recognized its effectiveness, safety, and quality. The market introduction of these drugs, as equivalent to brand names, was a strategy to reduce health care costs. Because of the lack of studies about use of drug in the state of Ceará, it was aimed to evaluate the level of knowledge and acceptance of generic drugs, and the range of use of generic drugs. Therefore, the aim of this work was to evaluate the level of knowledge, acceptance, and use of generics by patients or guardians served at outpatient pharmacy of the Walter Cantídio University Hospital (WCUH). It was conducted a crosssectional study whose scope knowledge, acceptance and use of generic drugs of patients or their guardians, from August to December 2014, in the waiting room of the WCUH outpatient pharmacy. The instrument used for research was a form filled through interviews, which variables were: sociodemographic, use of health services, use and acquisition of drugs, knowledge about generics, and use and acceptance of generics. The study included 220 people, which 190 (86.4%) said they knew what the generic drug is; that the best definition for them would be the "cheapest medicine” (65.6%); the majority (56.10%) knew then through advertisements; 184 (83.6%) used to buy generics and that the main reason of buying generic drugs was the price (69.7%); that 83.6% trust the quality of generics; those who said they do not believe in the quality of generic drugs, 16 (64%), said they do not trust. According to the analyzed data, it can be concluded that several people know and trust the quality of generics. On the other hand, there are also a significant number of people who do not know, do not believe, and do not use this kind of drug. The results also showed that, according to the respondents, the majority of prescribers do not use to prescribe generics, and it is applicable in several regions. Therefore, it is necessary to create incentive policies in order to prescribe and to use generics by prescribers and patients.