Although generic drugs are pharmacologically equivalent to their brand-name counterparts, prejudices against the former remain strong among patients and doctors. In a randomized controlled field experiment, this research assesses the extent to which generic (versus brand-name) labels affect patients' consumption dosage, medication compliance and reported pain.
One hundred one patients scheduled to undergo invasive dental surgeries (i.e., dental implants) participated in the experiment. After dental surgery, patients were prescribed a once-daily analgesic regimen for up to 7 days. The intervention consisted of label manipulation. Patients were randomly assigned to either the brand-name analgesic or to its (purportedly) cheaper generic version. In reality, all participants obtained the same brand-name medication. The medication was provided at no cost, and patients were instructed to take the first pill while at the clinic. They were informed that they could (a) increase the dosage of the prescribed analgesic to twice daily if necessary and (b) stop taking the medication when no longer needed. Any other changes to the regimen were discouraged, and patients were instructed to consult with the dentist before any such changes. Telephone follow-ups were conducted at 24 hours, 4 days, and 7 days after surgery. Two main dependent variables were obtained: the number of prescribed analgesics consumed and the number of non-prescribed analgesics consumed. The patients also reported the pain felt during the period.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
101
Participants were presented with either a generic label or a brand-name label
Non-Compliance
Number of patients who consumed at least one non-prescribed analgesic pill during the first 24 hours
Time frame: 1 day after the intervention
Non-Compliance
Number of patients who consumed at least one non-prescribed analgesic pill during the period (from day 2 to day 4)
Time frame: 4 days after the intervention
Non-compliance
Number of patients who consumed at least one non-prescribed analgesic pill during the period (from day 5 to day 7)
Time frame: 7 days after the intervention
Consumption Dosage
Average number of pills consumed during the study period (first 24 hours)
Time frame: 1 day after the intervention
Consumption Dosage
Average number of pills consumed during the study period (from day 2 to day 4)
Time frame: 4 days after the intervention
Consumption dosage
Average number of pills consumed during the study period (from day 5 to 7)
Time frame: 7 days after the intervention
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