For 40% of French people, generic drugs are not as effective as brand-name drugs. In 2011, this proportion was only 29%. What has happened in 2 years? While the new target for generic drug substitution has been set at 82%, the poll shows a continued decline in confidence in generics over the past two years. 40% of French people consider that generics are not as safe as originators, against 39% in 2012 and 29% in 2011, which represents an increase of 11 points in 2 years. And 1 in 3 French people (31%) consider that generics are not as effective as brand-name drugs. They were 28% in 2012 and 23% in 2011.
Consumption habits that do not change
While 81% of French people consider that generic medicines are more economical than original drugs, yet they do not change the type of consumption. The survey indicates that the French are still not very inclined to systematically accept the substitution: only 57% of the people questioned say they systematically accept the generic drug instead of the originator, whereas they were 62% in 2011.
55% of French people are also mostly unfavorable to the agreement abolishing the third-party payment in the event of refusal of a General medicine.
According to Lucien Bennatan, pharmacist and President of the PHR Group, “the French are well aware that generics generate savings for society. However, in practice, they are not yet ready to systematically accept the substitution. It is in this context that pharmacists, local health actors, play a major role. They must demonstrate pedagogy and explain to patients that generics are made up of the same molecule and subject to the same rigorous controls as the originator ”.
A paradoxical situation
The situation of generic drugs in France therefore seems rather paradoxical.
62% of French people say that their health budget continues to increase each year and 79% of respondents believe that the quality of the health system has deteriorated. Even though 81% find generic prices very attractive, the drug market General medicinefell for the first time in 12 years, with 630 million boxes sold in 2010 and 614 million in 2011. The substitution rate (in units) fell below the 70% threshold, reaching 67.1% in June 2012 .
The survey was carried out from September 26 to October 1 on a sample of 1,003 people representative of the French population aged 18 and over, by online questionnaire using the quota method.
