Educating Groups Influencing Generic Drug Use

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Project Abstract Spending on prescription drugs in the U.S. has risen 114% since 2000. One way to combat rising prescription drug costs is to encourage use of generic drugs. Just considering U.S. Medicare and Medicaid programs, an estimated $89 billion could be saved over the next decade through expanded generic drug use. While the cost- savings of generics is clear, generic drug market penetration varies across classes of drugs, by prescribers, and by geographic location. Evidence shows that generic drug use is largely impacted by certain key groups' behaviors and perceptions towards generic drugs. While believed to be influential, the extent of each groups influence is heterogeneous and dependent on factors such as experiences and perceptions with generic drugs. Thus, effective educational efforts to target all types of barriers that may limit generic drug use are a critical need. The purpose of the proposed research is to understand roles of key groups and the extent of their influence on generic drug use in order to provide additional and effective educational outreach to meet their informational needs. To this end, we will use a mixed-methods approach to address three study aims: 1) to study the key groups influencing generic drug use in the U.S. and to determine the nature and extent of their influence; 2) to determine the key groups' informational needs regarding generic drugs and establish the current and desired means by which these key groups receive healthcare-related educational material; and 3) to develop, test, and revise educational materials to address key groups' informational needs regarding generic drugs. The six a priori defined key groups include patients/caregivers, prescribers, pharmacists, insurance formulary managers, state health policy makers, and pharmaceutical manufacturers. We will determine the nature and extent of each groups influence using systematic review combined with innovative analyses of multiple publicly available datasets. Qualitative key informant interviews will develop profiles of informational needs for generic drugs overall and for specific drug groups that have unique properties. Developmental panels combined with key informant interviews and surveys will develop and refine educational materials. The expected outcomes of this study are provision of information, strategies, and educational materials to overcome barriers to generic drug use in the U.S.