A recent study said that although generic drugs offer the same effect and quality as original drugs, Korean consumers still have low trust in generics.  

As defined by the FDA, a generic drug is a medication created to be the same as an existing original drug in dosage, safety, strength, route of administration, quality, performance characteristics, and intended use. Consequently, it is cheaper and more accessible than original drugs.

The research team, led by Professor Sylvia Park at the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs (KIHASA), conducted a nationwide consumer perception survey on 2,026 adults taking prescription drugs for chronic conditions or those who filled at least one prescription in the last three months.

The results showed that only 21 percent of respondents knew the definition of generic medicines. Furthermore, less than half of respondents (42.8 percent) considered generic medicines to be as effective as the original drug. Some 37 percent thought generics had the same side effects, and 35 percent, the same quality.

"In patients, choice of generics, awareness, and acceptability play an important role," the research team said.

Interestingly, the researchers also noted that male respondents and those of higher income or higher levels of education were more likely to know the definition of generic drugs and associated this with a higher trust in pharmaceutical equivalence of generic medicines.

Although direct comparison is difficult due to confounding factors, the perception of generics did not improve significantly compared to the results of previous surveys conducted in Korea in the past. They also found that compared to Finland and Australia, confidence in generics was low.

"There is a need to diversify the channels of information provided for generics and to convey information simply," the research team explained.

At the same time, they also suggested that drug regulators focus specifically on quality improvement and increasing trust by generating positive consumer experiences through expanded opportunities to choose generic drugs.