MANY AMERICANS STILL HAVE LIMITED KNOWLEDGE OF GENERIC DRUGS, NEW UNITEDHEALTH GROUP STUDY FINDS
A new survey by Prescription Solutions, a leading pharmacy benefit management organization and a UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) company, found that many Americans still have limited understanding when it comes to the cost, ingredients and effectiveness of generic drugs. The study also confirmed that the current economic crisis is affecting consumer prescription drug use.
The use of generic drugs has saved the health care system $734 billion over the past decade (IMS Health, 2009).
Jacqueline Kosecoff, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Prescription Solutions, said, “Using generics helps make health care more affordable without compromising results. Many Americans erroneously believe that the most expensive drug is always the most effective drug, so by helping to change perceptions, we can help people save money and still get the best treatment available.”
Knowledge of generics still limited; Economy causing consumers to alter prescription drug use.
Among the key findings of the Prescription Solutions survey: Nearly one-third of Americans do not know or believe that generics have the same active ingredients and effectiveness as brand name drugs. Two-thirds of those surveyed do not understand the true cost differences between brand name drugs and generics. Only 31 percent of survey respondents indicated they knew that a brand name drug cost 50-70 percent more on average than its generic counterpart. 71 percent of consumers remain concerned about drug costs – with more than one in four (27 percent) having either delayed filling, not filled, or not taken as directed a prescription drug in order to save money. Further, 21 percent of all respondents say they have talked to their doctor recently about switching to a less expensive drug. 57 percent of those polled said they take prescription drugs on a weekly basis. Of those who do so, 83 percent (or 47 percent of the total sample) take generics. Further, among those who take generics, 82 percent say they do so because of the lower cost.
Of those who do not take generic drugs on a weekly basis, 58 percent say it is because there is no generic available for the drug they need. Doctors and pharmacists are key influencers in encouraging the use of generics. Of those surveyed who take generic drugs on a weekly basis, 64 percent say their doctor recommended generics and 43 percent say their pharmacist recommended them.
Of those who do not take generic drugs on a weekly basis, 58 percent say they would if their pharmacist brought a generic to their attention as a less expensive, identical substitute; and 52 percent say their doctor would have to recommend it.
Taken together, these survey findings demonstrate the need to further educate consumers about the differences between brand name and generic drugs and the potential value of generic drug use; and, doctors and pharmacists have a major role to play in this effort.
A Look Forward – The Next Cost Wave
As the nation looks at how to rein in health care costs without sacrificing quality, generic drugs are a proven resource. However, biologic drugs, also known as specialty drugs, are becoming the most costly and fastest-growing area of pharmaceuticals, expected to grow from a $40 billion market in 2005 to more than $90 billion estimated by the end of this year.
However, there currently are no “generic” alternatives for specialty drugs.
“Biologic drugs can cost tens of thousands of dollars a year for a single person’s treatment needs. A regulatory approval pathway for follow-on versions of these biologic drugs – or ‘biosimilars’ – must be created by Congress in order for patients, the government and U.S. businesses to afford them,” Kosecoff said.
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