CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING

Introduction

Generic medicine is defined as a substitute or a bioequivalent of a

branded medicine with respect to pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic

properties. A medicine can only be termed as generic if it is made up of the same

chemical composition at same strength and it has to meet the same

pharmacopoeial standard of preparation. When buying medicine the first thing

that comes to our mind is buying generic and branded one. We tend to choose

such drugs to relieve pain, whatever feeling we are encountering as prescribed

or not by our physicians without knowing if the drugs are effective, safe and also

affordable especially if it is good or bad on our body.

As health service providers, nurse must also be advocates for patients’

rights, including the right to accessible, affordable quality essential medicines.

For the nursing profession to stay dynamic and relevant, it must engage in issues

that impact both the nursing practice and the people’s health. (Nolasco, 2009)

The nurse has a pivotal role in drug clinical trials. The research and development

process for drug research requires the multifaceted roles of professional nursing

practices. Nurses must first consider their own thoughts, feelings and beliefs

about clinical trials. The nurse is both the client and family advocate and the

liaison between the client, health care provider, and research nurse responsible

for the specific protocol. Communication that’s both through and timely is
essential in all aspects of the nurse’s role. (Kee, 2006) Most patients tend to

respond in a positive way to any therapeutic intervention by interest, caring, and

enthusiastic medical personnel. This study may help the student nurses when

dealing with the patient when it comes to therapeutic effectiveness and others

about it because not all clients can afford medicines that they are needed. It is

important for the nursing profession to give right information so that when

administering medications, it will help the patients to be more aware on what are

generic drugs and its quality and also to answer some misconceptions about it.

Trust and acceptance will be gained by the nurses if they will provide necessary

and accurate data since they are the ones who often interact and deliver primary

care with the patients.

Over the years, people have studied perception for variety of reasons.

Some of these reasons stem from practical considerations, such as the need to

solve a particular problem. Other reasons do not reflect practical concerns but

instead arise simply from intellectual curiosity about ourselves and the world we

live in. Through the study of perception, one can identify and correct potentially

hazardous environmental conditions that threaten the senses and impair ability to

make decisions. Learning abut perception satisfies an intellectual curiosity about

ourselves and the world we live in. (Sekuler, 2005) The researchers arrived at

this concept of knowing the perception of the people in generic drugs to know

how a person in Laguna differs when choosing their own medication and to their

family members.
Theoretical/Conceptual Framework

Lisa Fritscher (2009) cited that Jean Piaget wrote the Cognitive theory. It

is a learning theory of psychology that attempts to explain human behavior by

understanding the thought processes. The assumption is that humans are logical

beings that make the choices that make the most sense to them. “Information

processing” is a commonly used description of the mental process, comparing

the human mind to a computer.

Pure cognitive theory largely rejects behaviorism on the basis that

behaviorism reduces complex human behavior to simple cause and effect.

However, the trend in past decades has been towards merging the two into a

comprehensive cognitive-behavioral theory. This allows therapists to use

techniques from both schools of thought to help clients achieve their goals.

Furthermore, Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow Humanistic Theory states

that the focus of the humanistic perspective is on the self, which translates into

"YOU", and "your" perception of "your" experiences. This view argues that you

are free to choose your own behavior, rather than reacting to environmental

stimuli and reinforces. Issues dealing with self-esteem, self-fulfillment, and needs

are paramount. The major focus is to facilitate personal development. Carl

Rogers feels that each person operates from a unique frame of reference in

terms of building Self Regard or their self concept. Self Concept is one's own

belief about them. These beliefs stem, in part, from the notion of Unconditional

Positive Regard and Conditional Positive Regard. Unconditional positive regard

Conditioned positive regard is when that love seems to only come when certain

conditions are met. Rogers’s theory states that psychologically healthy people

enjoy life to the fullest; hence, they are seen as fully functioning people.

The researchers uses the cognitive and humanistic to the study because

there are two types of people; one who uses logical thinking and the other is

base on their experience in choosing things such as medication. In the said

theories the researchers wants to know which of the two theories is used by the

patient in their perception on generic drugs.

Operational Framework

The researchers will use the help of questionnaire to determine the factors

that affect the perception of the consumer on generic drugs. The researchers will

have thirty percent of the total census of patients from each selected public and

private hospitals in Laguna. In quantitative studies, the minimum acceptable

sample size is 30 per group or variable. The following independent variables are

base on how they think and the range of their general knowledge in terms of age,

gender, educational attainment, and socio-economic status. The dependent

variables were selected in basis of how they choose, classify and personal

experiences in using that medication in terms of Efficacy, Safety and

Affordability. This will help the researchers to choose the respondents

appropriate for the study in creating a common and more reliable conclusion.
Independent Variables Dependent Variables

Profile of the
respondents in terms Perception of the
of: respondents on
generic drugs in terms
Age
of:

Gender
Efficacy

Educational
Safety
attainment
Affordability
Socio-economic status

Figure 1

The Perception of patients from selected hospitals in Laguna on Generic

Drugs.

The study seeks empirical support of the theoretical framework using the

selected patients from various hospitals as the respondents of the study.

This study will determine the perception of patients on generic drugs.

Specifically, this study will seek answer to the ff. sub-problems:

1. What is the demographic profile of the selected patients in terms of:

1.1 Age

1.2 Gender

1.3 Educational Attainment

1.4 Monthly Salary

2. What is the perception of patients on generic drugs in terms of:

2.1 Efficacy

2.2 Safety

2.3 Affordability

3. Is there a significant relationship between the profile of the respondents and

their perception on Generic Drugs?

The researcher tested for the following hypothesis in the study.

Ho1: There is no significant relationship in the perception on generic drugs

among the patients.

Ho2: There is no significant relationship in the factor that affects the

perception of generic drugs in selected patients when grouped according

to profile variables.

Assumptions of Study

The study rests on the following assumptions:

1. Responses and assertions made by the respondents regarding their

personal variables are true and correct and therefore viable for analysis

and interpretation.

2. Consumer’s main decision of choosing generic is based on several

factors.

3. The study is beneficial to the nurses as well as nursing students every

time they will face in situations that their patients want to have knowledge

about generic.
Scope and Delimitation

This study will concern itself with the patients’ perception on generic drugs

in terms of efficacy, safety and affordability. These are the dependent variables

while the personal variables limited to age, gender, educational attainment and

socio-economic status.

The study was conducted to determine the perception of patients from

selected hospitals in Laguna. It covers only aged 18-60 who lives Laguna,

currently employed and patient who are in good mental status. The respondents

of the study totalled to 70 patients who were given the survey questionnaire. The

survey started August 5-28 2010. Whatever the result of the study, this will help

nursing students understand and respect the perception of the patients when

rendering nursing care.

Significance of the Study

The results of the study are deemed important to the following:

Consumers. The outcome of the study is important that the consumers

have knowledge about the difference of generic from branded medicine because

it can guide them when choosing right drugs that are safe, effective and of

course affordable to them.

Nurses. This research may help for medical professionals like nurses

because they are the one who must know drugs that are given to patients. It is
nurse’s responsibilities to consider the possible effect of it on their body and if

there’s an instance that patients asked about that medication, nurses know the

answer that helps in gaining trust from them. The study will also broaden their

knowledge about Generic drugs.

Drug Stores. This study will serve as guide to them because not all drug

stores sell only generic or branded drugs as well as being aware of this study

makes them knowledgeable of selling quality products that helps their income

increase and makes their business trustworthy.

Other medical professions. The study would give them idea when it

comes to drug actions. All medical practitioners must know this thing not only

doctors and pharmacist. This may help them more efficient and comprehensive

that they are expecting. They are the professionals whose knowledge of drug

therapy and drug behavior in human body must rely on.

Researchers. For future researchers, this study may help them doing

their own research which guide them in right path of choosing right topic that are

conducive to the society and professions.

Definition of Terms

The terminologies underneath were taken from the title as well as from the

variables used in this research. For a better reading and understanding of the

study, words were identified according to the understanding of the researchers to

defined based from the content of our thesis.

Drug is any substance, other than food, intended for use in the diagnosis, cure,

treatment, or prevention of disease in man or other animals.

Medicine is a substance possessing, or reputed to possess, curative or remedial

properties.

Generic drug have the same active ingredients with the branded drugs and

anticipated use with lower price.

Branded drug has a trade name and manufactured by a well established

pharmaceutical company, protected by a patent. It’s expensive because of the

overhead cost involved in manufacturing and research of this drug.

Prescription is implemented by a physician or other medical practitioner in the

form of instructions for the plan of care of an individual.

Perception is the act of apprehending by means of the senses or of the mind;

cognition; understanding.

A therapeutic effect is a result of a medical treatment of any kind which are

judged to be desirable and beneficial.

Demographic profile is the study of vital and social statistics in their application

to ethnology and public health.

drug.

Safety is relative freedom from danger, risk, or threat of harm, injury.

Affordability is to be able to do or spare something, esp. without incurring

financial difficulties.

Pharmacokinetic is the process of drug movement to achieve drug action.

Pharmacodynamic is the study of drug concentration and its effects on the

body.

Bioequivalence is a term in pharmacokinetics used to assess the expected in

vivo biological equivalence of two proprietary preparations of a drug. If two

products are said to be bioequivalent it means that they would be expected to be,

for all intents and purposes, the same.

Side effects are physiologic effects not related to desired drug effects.

Adverse effect is more severe than side effects. They are a range of untoward

effects of drugs that cause mild to severe side effects.