Doctors Support Generics, but Feel Pressure From Patients

A new poll of physicians and their prescribing habits shows that although most doctors support the use of generic drugs, almost half feel some pressure from patients to provide specific medications and 8% reported frequent pressure for brand-name drugs. The online poll involved 425 physicians, half of whom are primary care practitioners.

Arranged by AARP, the poll found that 78% of physicians support generic substitution in most cases; 17% support substitution in all cases; and 5% never substitute generics for brand-name drugs.

Most doctors (80%) said they get information on generic substitution from health insurers and pharmacy benefit managers. Other frequently cited sources for information were drug sales representatives (44%), medical journals (41 %), drug companies (29%), and pharmacists (16%).

Pharmacy benefits managers may be having a major impact on doctors’ switch to lower-cost drugs, the survey shows: 84% of doctors report being encouraged frequently or occasionally by PBMs to switch to generic drugs, and 70% said they frequently or sometimes are encouraged by PBMs to prescribe a different brand- name drug.

About 23% of doctors also reported frequent pressure from their patients to prescribe generics, while 46% reported occasional pressure for generics.

Copyright Institute of Management & Administration May 2005