Physician attitudes about non-medical switching to biosimilars: results from an online physician survey in the United States

Abstract

Objective: This study was designed to understand the level of familiarity of US rheumatologists, gastroenterologists and dermatologists with biosimilar therapies, their experience with non-medical switching (switching medications for reasons unrelated to patient health) of patients between biologics and their attitudes towards switching from a biologic to a biosimilar.

Methods: A total of 297 US physicians who currently prescribe biologics for their patients completed a 15-minute online survey. Rheumatologists, dermatologists and gastroenterologists were included.

Results: The majority of physicians (84%) did not want stable patients undergoing a non-medical switch to a biosimilar. While 60% of physicians believed non-medical switching to biosimilars may have a positive impact on healthcare system costs, multiple negative impacts were also expected. A majority of physicians anticipated a negative impact on patient mental health (59%), treatment efficacy (57%), patient safety (53%) and physician office management (60%).

Conclusions: The majority of physicians had concerns regarding non-medical switching to biosimilars and the impact such switching would have on patient care and physician practice.

Keywords:

• Biologic therapies
• biosimilar
• rheumatologists
• dermatologists
• gastroenterologists
• physician
• attitudes

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge the following for research design and data analysis: David Rubin MD of the University of Chicago, Diana Baum and Patrick McShane of Benfield-Gallagher, the late Jan Gollins of Delta Modelling, David Curtis and Kelly Gavigan of Global Healthy Living and Noam Gerber, formally of Global Healthy Living. The authors also wish to acknowledge Lisa M. Balbes PhD of Balbes Consultants, LLC for providing editorial support in accordance with Good Publication Practice (GPP3) guidelines (www.ismpp.org/gpp3) and Julie Vanderpoel PharmD of ACS for medical writing support.