Generics competition has driven down global prices for AIDS drugs from more than US$10,000 a year per person to less than US$100 [2]. In light of the huge cost-savings to be made, switching from brand-name antiretroviral drugs to generics has been recommended in France since 2013.

In order to evaluate the perception of generics in general and in particular for antiretroviral generics in HIV-infected patients and their hospital physicians, Jacomet and co-authors carried out a multicentric cross sectional survey. The study was carried out on ‘a given day’ covering all HIV-infected patients attending on the busiest day in the week of 16 to 21 September 2013 in 33 outpatient hospital departments across France.

Patients completed a questionnaire on their perception and acceptability of generics. Physicians completed a questionnaire on their acceptability of switching brand-name antiretroviral drugs to generics.

The results pointed to the fact that the acceptability of antiretroviral generics in this French population was mostly dictated by the patient’s and physician’s knowledge and use of generics overall. The authors suggested that this ‘should be improved’ by providing information on antiretroviral generics to both patients and physicians.

In the following series of two articles the results obtained by Jacomet and co-authors for patient and physician perceptions to antiretroviral generics are presented.

Conflict of interest
The authors of the research paper [1] declared that the paper presents independent research by CHU Clermont-Ferrand, the promoter of the survey to compile the paper. Mylan provided funding for data capture.

Editor’s comment
Readers interested to learn more about the perceptions of patients and physicians towards generics are invited to visit www.gabi-journal.net to view the following manuscripts published in GaBI Journal:

A review of patient perspectives on generics substitution: what are the challenges for optimal drug use

Perceptions of physicians from private medical centres in Malaysia about generic medicine usage: a qualitative study

Readers interested in contributing a research or perspective paper to GaBI Journal – an independent, peer reviewed academic journal platform – please send us your submission here.

Related article
Patients’ perceptions of HIV generics in France

Physicians’ perceptions of HIV generics in France

References
1.   Jacomet C, Allavena C, Peyrol P, et al. Perception of Antiretroviral Generic Medicines: One-Day Survey of HIV-Infected Patients and Their Physicians in France. PLoS ONE. 2015;10(2): e0117214. doi:10.1371/journal. pone.0117214
2.  GaBI Online - Generics and Biosimilars Initiative. Advocates demand generic version of Abbott's HIV drug Kaletra [www.gabionline.net]. Mol, Belgium: Pro Pharma Communications International; [cited 2015 May 15]. Available from: www.gabionline.net/Generics/News/Advocates-demand-generic-version-of-Abbott-s-HIV-drug-Kaletra 

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