She kindly read my paper and offered invaluable detailed advice on the content and execution of the result. The use of generic drugs in Thailand continues to increase every year in both drugstores and hospitals. Most respondents believe that a generic drug has a lower price and the same quality, value and risk.
On the other hand, wrong group, respondents' perception that generic drug has lower price, quality, higher and same in risk with higher value. In Thailand, the use of the generic drug has been increasing; significant factors are cost concerns, government policy and marketing activity of local manufacturers. Expenditure in the drug sector is the largest expenditure in the health sector as increasing population, urbanization, sedentary lifestyle and changing population pattern to an aging society.
The original brand manufacturer also manufactures its generic as a branded generic (Sandoz, an affiliate of Novatis, is a branded generic). Generic drugs have a share of almost 20% and are constantly growing rapidly due to government policies and economic regression.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Consumer Perception
- Consumer's perception of generic product
- Pharmaceutical situation in Thailand
In high income, the consumer perceives that generic products are of lower quality and take more risk than the original product. In contrast, the lower income consumers are attracted by the price reduction of generic products compared to branded products (Yelkur, 2000). Consumer perception varies for generic product category. In generic raw materials or more standardized products, and consumers tend to be perceived as higher quality and value than less standardized or more specialized product (Prendeergast and Marr, 1997).
In the personal care sector, generic products are less attractive because consumers have less confidence in the generic product. The growth of generic products depends on many factors, such as the economic situation and marketing strategy. The share and number of lower-income consumers in developing countries are also the keys that make the generic product attractive.
Advertising and marketing communications are tools to promote selective recognition of a generic brand and make one generic brand more powerful than another generic in consumer recognition (BlackWell, 2012). Financial risk occurs when a generic drug does not match consumer demand, resulting in financial losses in the cost of the drug. Loss of time in the process of searching for and purchasing a generic drug is a time risk, and the time to change the drug is defined as a time risk.
The consumer's social risk is rejection in the consumer's group after using a generic drug. In psychological risk, the consumer develops this risk when he receives incomplete or inaccurate knowledge about the generic drug (Anas, 2013). The number of generic drugs has been increasing in the last decade since the introduction of the universal coverage system.
Applications for new generic drugs should include a full set of generic dossiers and data and literature on bioequivalence studies supporting efficacy and safety (Gross, 2014).
Definition
- Generic drug
All people are covered by a universal health care system divided into three programs: the Civil Servant Medical Benefit Scheme (for government employees, 7 million people), the Social Security System (for private company employees, 10 million people), and the Universal Coverage Scheme as free basic healthcare. healthcare coverage (for the rest, 50 million people). The Thai FDA (TFDA) plays the role in regulating pharmaceuticals in Thailand in all processes such as drug licensing, inspection, registration and post-market surveillance. Generic drug applications should include material on quality control, general product information, and product manufacturing.
In Thailand, multinational companies are the top player; only three local companies are in the top 10 of leading manufacturing. Generic drugs have a greater share of the original product in some therapeutic class than antibiotics and drug for heart disease. Thailand, most Thai consumers refer to generic medicine as locally produced because local manufacturing produces most of the generic drug in Thailand.
However, currently some creators also produce their own generic brand, as the combat brand and multinational generic manufacturer also came to Thailand. In the definition of the Food and Drug Administration of Thailand, a generic drug is the active ingredient that is registered as a second brand for the same ingredient (Bureau of Drug Control, n.d).
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Design
- Population
- Sampling
- Data Collection
As this research was an online questionnaire approach, the target population must be able to access the internet or social media. This survey was opened to the general public, regardless of how they know or have experience with the generic drug. The study was not set to limit age, income, occupation, marital status, beyond Internet access.
Non-probability sampling such as online convenience sampling or unrestricted self-selected surveys was used in this research due to the short collection period and the ease of the respondent to access the questionnaire. As a pilot survey and the size of the research, the location is the border in Bangkok and nearby only to avoid the bias of the public health system and the propaganda of the pharmaceutical firm. The data collection was divided into 5 parts such as site examination, understanding of generic drug, pattern of drug usage, how respondents get information about generic drug, perception about generic drug and hence demographics of the respondent.
Screening of the location: screening question will only select target group of respondents who live in Bangkok and nearby. The test question of the generic drug will test the understanding of generic test that the respondent knows the wording as the generic drug in Thai language or not and find out the definition of wording that the respondent knows in both formal and informal term. The answer also adds incorrect answer as false agent and substitute agent in the same indication.
The consumer behavior question would reveal the pattern of rare behavior and which group of drugs the consumer buys. Consumer experience question about generic drug which investigates whether consumer has experience with generic drug or not and what factor makes consumer to accept generic drug. Perception in the generic drug question will learn in detail about the perception in quality, price, value for money and risk compared to the original brand.
The demographic question would collect the general information of the suspect such as age, education level, income, occupation, marital status, children and also find out whether the respondent is a healthcare professional or not.
Data Analysis
RESEARCH FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS
Finding
But when to ask in depth in the definition of the generic drug in more controls that they want. The exact definitions of generic drug are "Drug that has the same ingredient and uses in the same indication Copy drug" and "Drug produced in the country". Health professional group is the only group that the respondent answers, corrects more than what is wrong (55.26%). and 44.74%, p=0.00).
Medicine that has the same ingredient and use in the same indication Medicine that can be used substituted in the same indication Medicine produced in the country Cheaper medicine that can be used in the same indication Counterfeit medicine Household medicine or non-prescription medicine Copy medicine Copy medicine (on the Thai language) second. Doctor Pharmacist Other healthcare professional Book/magazine Friend Family Internet/social network Not accepted before other times. Doctor and pharmacist are the most important factor to get the consumer accepted in the generic drug as 31.7% and 17.5% respectively.
In the quality perception aspect, the majority 41.2% of the respondents perceive that generic drug has the same as the original drug. But in the correct answer group, the majority of 52% perceive that generic drug is inferior to original drug with 42%. In price perception, all groups have the same opinion that generic drugs have a lower price than the original.
However, incorrect answer group and health professional group, no one perceives that generic drug has the same or higher price. For the perception of value, the majority of 31% of the respondents perceive that the generic product has the same value as the original. However, in the group with correct answers, 56% of respondents are of the opinion that generic products have more value than original brand (p = 0.02).
Health workers are also the group that has a different characteristic perception than other groups (p = 0.004). On the other hand, a group of health professionals believes that the generic drug is more risky than the original. In terms of risk perception, health care providers and the graduate group are the groups that believe the risk is higher for generic drugs and.
CONCLUSIONS
Conclusions
Implication
The Thai FDA should provide this information to the public in a user-friendly format to help people get the right perception of the quality and risk of the generic drug. Brief details about generic drug and differentiation should also be given to the patient from a better understanding. At the manufacturing point, manufacturing should practice more intergrade marketing communication to help reputation in quality, value and risk.
Although many classes of drugs are prohibited to advertise directly to the public, but the manufacturer should promote in the special brand image. Currently, most of the leading local manufacturers focus on the hospital channel or advertise to healthcare professionals. On the other hand, original brands also need to promote their brand image to maintain the position in the market and create more gap in quality, value and risk from the generic brand.
Limitation and recommendation for future research
For healthcare providers, pharmacist and doctor are the most reliable source of information for the patient. The impact of perceived risks on consumer resistance to generic drugs in the pharmaceutical industry in Malaysia. Retrieved February 4, 2016, from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/consumer-perception-theory-40176.html Bureau of drug control.
A survey examines knowledge and perceptions of general practitioners about the use of generic medicines in the northern state of Malaysia. Underuse of generic medicines in Portugal: An empirical study on the perceptions and attitudes of patients and pharmacists. Retrieved February 25, 2016, from http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/BuyingUsingMe dicineSafely/UnderstandingGenericDrugs/ucm144456.htm.
