Assessment of physicians’ and pharmacists’ knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, and barriers concerning generic medicine in Pakistan: A cross-sectional study

Background The rising costs of pharmaceuticals globally have increased the demand for generic medications as people seek more affordable alternatives to costly branded drugs. Generic medications are a beneficial approach to reducing pharmaceutical expenses without compromising healthcare quality. Yet, the prescribing of generic medications is still nil to date due to various factors not explored well. Therefore, we aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, and challenges physicians and pharmacists face in Pakistan regarding implementing generic medicines. Methods A cross-sectional observational survey was conducted among conveniently available physicians and pharmacists from February to July 2024. Data was collected using a structured validated questionnaire. Participants were invited from randomly selected public and private sector hospitals and pharmacies in Pakistan’s twin cities (Rawalpindi and Islamabad). Data from this study was analyzed using descriptive statistics, Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis tests, and multivariate binary logistic regression in SPSS version 25. Results Out of 515 distributed surveys, 415 individuals responded, and 400 surveys were analysed, resulting in an 80.5% response rate. Of the 400 participants, 214 (53.5%) participants were pharmacists, and 186 (46.5%) were physicians. More than half of the participants demonstrated high knowledge, 215 (53.8%), and the majority of them had positive attitudes, 323 (80.7%), as well as perceptions, 249 (62.3%), toward generic medicines. A significant positive correlation existed between participants’ attitudes and perceptions (r = 0.504, p < .05). In multivariate binary logistic regression analysis, age, practice setting, and negative attitude had statistically significant associations with positive attitude. Conclusion Health care professionals possess considerable knowledge and exhibit a positive attitude towards generic medications, demonstrating strong support for generic substitution. Educational interventions are necessary to enhance generic drug prescribing and dispensing practices among healthcare professionals.