Healthy Skepticism Library item: 8532

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Kushner D.
Growing substitution in chains: how will innovating firms respond?
American Druggist 1981 Oct; 184:3, 52, 54, 58, 60, 62, 66, 68,

Abstract:

A survey on the drug product selection of community pharmacists when dispensing prescriptions allowing a choice between generic and brand name products is presented. Pharmacists from chain store and independent pharmacies were included in the nation-wide survey. Of the 42 drugs covered by the 1981 survey, 35 are covered in 3 consecutive surveys (1979, 1980, 1981). The companies that led in the pharmacists’ preferences in 1980 are still leading this yr with 2 exceptions. Of the 70 firms mentioned, 38 may be described as brand name houses while 32 clearly belong to the generic name category. The generic name firms were more frequently listed by the chain pharmacists than the brand name houses, while the reverse was true for the independents. Tabulations comparing the findings of the 1980 and 1981 surveys on the 42 drugs covered with separate data given for the preferred manufacturers reported by the chain and the independent pharmacists as well as by all the pharmacists combined are presented.