• Omar A Almohammed, Leen A Aldwihi, and Abdullah A Alhifany.
• Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. E-amil. oalmohammed@ksu.edu.sa.
• Saudi Med J. 2020 Apr 1; 41 (4): 413-420.

ObjectivesTo assess the public knowledge and perception about generic medications in Saudi Arabia, and their willingness to use generic medications.MethodsThis cross-sectional, online-questionnaire-based study was conducted between May and July 2019, including participants who can read and complete an Arabic online survey. Chi-square test and contingency coeficient were used to investigate differences in different segments of participants and assess the association between knowledge and perception. Results: A total of 397 participants have completed the survey. One-half of them were female, the majority were of young age (less than 35 years), and 40% of them were buying their medications independently. Only 40.5% of participants had adequate knowledge and 60% of them had positive perception on generics. Participants with higher level of education were more likely to have adequate knowledge (p=0.002) and positive perception (p=0.006). The study found a moderate relationship between knowledge and perception about generics (standardized C=0.35, p less than 0.001). The country of origin for medications was a significant indicator of quality for two-thirds of participants, and one-half of them believed that local generics can compete with imported ones. About one-half of participants used generics and the majority of them were satis ed with their experience.ConclusionThere is a general lack of knowledge, while having a positive perception on generic medications among the general public in Saudi Arabia. Future studies should focus on strategies to improve it and assess its cost-savings consequences while maintaining quality of care.

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