[e-drug] Medical doctors & belief in brand names (8)

["J.W.F. van Mil" <jwfvmil@planet.nl>]

E-DRUG: Medical doctors & belief in brand names (8)
-----------------------------------------------

Dear all

It would be interesting in this discussion to have the views of a medical
sociologist. 

In the Netherlands the government urged us to switch to generic prescribing
a couple of years ago, and in the pharmacy where I now work, approx. 90% of
the prescriptions mentions the generic name. When available, that is what we dispense. When not available, we dispense the branded drug (and only if that is available, because a number of branded drugs now has a limited
availability, due to commercial considerations from the part of the
pharmaceutical industry). So somehow, Dutch doctors became convinced that
generics are as good as the branded equivalents. However, there are two
important considerations.
- We have no reports of counterfeit in the Netherlands; (almost) all
pharmacists buy at regular and certified wholesalers.
- The 'power' of industry to give medical practitioners (doctors and
pharmacists) a treat has been limited over the last years in the EU. No free lunches or 'educational' trips to the Carribian anymore.

So far the Dutch experience,

Foppe

************************************************************************
    Foppe van Mil, PhD, Pharm D. Pharmacy practice consultant
    Margrietlaan 1, NL 9471 CT Zuidlaren, The Netherlands
    Tel: +31 50 4029095. Fax +31 50 4090732
    Email: jwfvmil@planet.nl Skype username:FoppevM
    N.B. Interested in Pharmaceutical Care? See www.pcne.org!