Great expectations: the psychology of switching from brand drugs to generics

The late Canadian novelist Robertson Davies once remarked that the eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend. He could almost have been referring to oft-reported negative experiences of patients switching from branded to generic drugs.

But look beyond the shiny packaging - branded drugs are biochemically the same as generic equivalents. Both have the same active ingredient, delivered to the body in the same way. Both have the same effects, according to an article posted today on the website of New Zealand’s Pharmaceutical Management Agency PHARMAC.

Auckland University’s Keith Petrie is one of New Zealand’s experts in health psychology. He says low patient expectations about generics are largely explained by perception and unconscious brand bias. Feedback from others, including fellow patients, and availability of choice can also influence patients’ assessment of a medication’s effectiveness.