Knowledge, perception and attitude of community pharmacists towards generic medicines in Karachi, Pakistan: A qualitative insight

Purpose: In an era of escalating healthcare costs and ageing population, there is a need for cost effective measures. This study was aimed to investigate the knowledge, perception and attitude of community pharmacists towards generic medicines. Methods: A qualitative methodology was adopted. Snowball sampling technique was used to identify eight community pharmacists. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the pharmacists until the point of saturation was obtained. The interviews, which were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim, were evaluated by thematic content analysis and further verified by other authors' analyses. Results: Thematic content analysis identified three major themes: knowledge of generic medicines, perception towards generic medicines, and attitude towards generic medicines. All the pharmacists showed good understanding and positive perception towards generic medicines. Mixed responses were observed regarding dispensing of locally manufactured medicines. Low cost was cited as the major determinant in dispensing locally manufactured generics. Conclusion: The current study showed good knowledge and perception towards generic medicines among community pharmacists in Karachi, Pakistan. It also highlighted mixed attitudes towards generic medicine dispensing. A 24-hour mandatory presence of professionally qualified pharmacists in community pharmacies can boost the confidence of doctors in pharmacists and enhance generic substitution.