Generic drugs prescription behavior: A pilot study on Tunisian doctors

ABSTRACT

Generic drugs seem a promising alternative to decrease healthcare costs. However, on one hand, doctors express reluctance toward this kind of drug, and on the other hand, existing literature remains silent about factors explaining their prescribing behavior. The current study mobilizes the Health Belief Model to offer a better understanding of the factors that hinder the prescription of generic drugs by doctors in terms of benefits, barriers, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, self-efficacy, and action cues. Twenty-four in-depth interviews were conducted with doctors from different specialties. Projective techniques were used including Chinese portrait, completion test, completion task, and association tests. Data analysis was processed using Sphinx software. The paper offers practical recommendations for health authorities and pharmaceutical firms to better promote generics. Increasing the prescription of generic drugs, compared to branded drugs, may increase patient access to affordable drug treatments, decrease healthcare costs and establish rational utilization of medicines. Generic drugs prescription may consequently play an essential role in improving the quality of life.

KEYWORDS:

• Generic drugs
• Health Belief Model
• prescribing behavior
• projective techniques
• healthcare costs
• healthcare management

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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Notes on contributors

Asma Baazaoui

Asma Baazaoui PhD she worked in academic teaching and research at management department. She is currently working as an Associated Professor Lecturer in The Faculty of Economics and Management of Tunis.

Imene Ben Yahia

Pr Imene Ben Yahia is a Full Professor in Marketing. She holds her PhD from Paris Dauphine University. Dr Imene is a member of the executive master supervising team at HEC Paris in Doha. She is also a member of the Marketing Methods Laboratory at ESC Tunis.

Abdelfatteh Triki

Pr Abdelfatteh Triki, he is a professor, his research works have appeared in a high prestige's journals. During his work he grew an interest in research related to innovation management, business development, healthcare management, and strategic management.