NTT Resonant, a provider of an Internet-based questionnaire service, called goo Research, did research on the usage status of generic drugs, together with Mitsubishi Research Institute. Conducted between August 2 and 6, the research covered 2,192 respondents in total.

Of the entire sample, only 9.3% had used generic drugs, while 62.3% were conscious of them, suggesting the increasing market awareness. Of those who had used generic drugs, 66.0% said they used them because they were cheaper, while 35.5% referred to the similar medicinal properties. On the price differences, a majority (54.2%) pointed out that generic drugs were cheaper by 20% or more than new drugs.

Of those who had not used generic drugs, a substantive portion (33.9%) stated that their doctors did not want to use them, while 16.8% and 11.2% had concerns over the makers and quality, respectively. These suggest that while patients simply tend to accept doctors' prescription, many people still did not know that they had the right to demand the use of generic drugs.

In a question asking preferred price differentials, 34.3% said they would use generic drugs if they were cheaper by 30% or more, followed by 23.3% of the respondents asking for the price difference of more than 20%. A majority of people (51.1%) tend to want generic drugs with clear medicinal properties, for example cold medicine.

A near majority (46.1%) pointed to the relationship between doctors and drug makers as the main obstacle to the use of generic drugs, suggesting a lack of understanding about the generic drugs system. People expected the health ministry, doctors' association, and doctors themselves to play active roles in promoting generic drugs. TV commercials (62.9%), ads in hospitals (61.3%), ads in pharmacies (46.7%), and ads in newspapers (39.5%) were useful in raising their awareness.

Many of the respondents (64.9%) had looked up their prescribed drugs, mostly with the Internet (70.9%). Most of the people were interested in adverse reactions (71.2%) and medicinal effects (69.6%).

By Aki Tsukioka, JCN Staff Writer

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