Last update:
19-Nov-2025

OBJECTIVE Το investigate the knowledge, perceptions and attitudes of patients, consumers and pharmacists in Greece regarding generic medicines and the socioeconomic and other factors that influence their choices and preferences.

METHOD The research was conducted between October 2022 and March 2023 using two questionnaires. The first was distributed to 194 patient-consumers in pharmacies in Thessaloniki and the second was distributed to 254 pharmacists and completed electronically by them. Demographic and medical characteristics were recorded and the data were analyzed using statistical methods.

RESULTS A total of 94.3% of citizens were aware of generics, but only 32.2% favored them. Perception of a difference in quality between generics and branded drugs was significantly related to the cost of prescription medicines (p=0.013), with 48% of patients believing that generics differ in quality. In addition, chronic conditions influence the decision to substitute generics for branded drugs (p=0.042). Pharmacists recognized that generics are cheaper (mean=4.5, standard deviation [SD]=0.7) and reduce the cost of pharmaceutical treatment (mean=4.3, SD=0.8), but only partially agreed on their therapeutic equivalence (mean=3.6, SD=1.1).

CONCLUSIONS Both patients and pharmacists have reservations about generics, which are influenced by socioeconomic and demographic factors. Better information and education are considered necessary to increase confidence in generics.

Key words: Generic medicines, Health attitudes, Healthcare costs, Patients, Pharmacists, Public health.