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Análise Psicológica

 ISSN 0870-8231

FIGUEIRAS, Maria João et al. Crenças de senso comum sobre medicamentos genéricos vs.medicamentos de marca: Um estudo piloto sobre diferenças de género. []. , 25, 3, pp.427-437. ISSN 0870-8231.

The aim of this analogue study is to investigate whether presenting different illness scenarios about prescriptions, using different labels, has different effects upon lay beliefs about the use of generic or brand medicines, as well as gender differences on these beliefs. One hundred and forty four healthy adult participants (54% females), completed a self-administered questionnaire, using a vignette methodology, in which different prescriptions (generic vs. brand) were given for the same label. Four different illness labels were used: flu, tonsillitis, asthma, and angina. There were main effects of the label and the type of prescription upon some of the dependent variables. There were stronger views about prescribed brand medicines for all the labels. There were interactions between label and type of medicines. More serious labels were associated with a lower belief in the efficacy of generic medicines. There was a stronger belief in generic medicines for symptom relief for flu, whereas there was a weaker belief in generic medicines for symptom relief for angina. There were significant gender differences in general beliefs about the use of generic vs. brand medicines. These preliminary findings raise some interesting questions concerning the concordance with prescriptions, and may have an influence on beliefs about the efficacy of generics for different illness labels, as well as important implications for adherence to treatment.

: Lay beliefs; medicines; illnesses; gender.

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