In fact, in a survey carried out by a group of pharmacists, a little less than 6 out of 10 people say they systematically accept generic drugs rather than original drugs, whereas they were 62% last year to trust them. Only six in 10 French people even think that generics are as secure as the originals. They were 71% last year.
Generic drugs: 1 in 10 people refuse them
Another finding, 72% of people questioned believe in 2012 that generics are as effective as the originals, a drop of 5 points compared to 2011. Almost 10% of patients even say they refuse the generic when it is offered by the pharmacist, because of a lack of confidence in these drugs.
It is true that generic drugs are not carbon copies of the original drugs. Even though they contain the same active molecules, they can be made with different excipients or have a different shape. Misconceptions about generics are stubborn, so many patients believe that these excipients affect the effectiveness of the drug.
A paradoxical situation
The situation of generic drugs in France therefore seems rather paradoxical. One in two French people are very concerned about their health reimbursements and 90% of them find the drugs too expensive. And even if 83% find the prices of generics very attractive, and 85% think that they are well reimbursed by Health Insurance or 84% consider that they treat effectively, the drug market medication generic is in decline for the first time in 12 years, with 630 million boxes sold in 2010 and 614 million in 2011. The substitution rate (in unit) fell below the 70% threshold, reaching 67.1% in June 2012.
This study was carried out online, in September, with a sample of 1,009 people, representative of the French population aged 18 and over.
