PATIENT RESISTANCE TO ADHERING TO TREATMENT WITH GENERIC DRUGS

Abstract

Generic drugs have the same active ingredient, dosage form, concentration, route of administration, efficacy, safety, and bioequivalence as their reference drugs, and are approved by the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (ANVISA) after rigorous quality testing. Despite this, there is still resistance to their use among patients and even healthcare professionals, mainly due to a lack of information and mistrust regarding their efficacy. in this context, pharmacists play a fundamental role in educating the public, promoting the rational use of medications, and clarifying doubts about their clinical and economic benefits. The study aimed to identify and analyze the main factors influencing resistance to adherence to treatment with generic drugs through a literature review conducted in the SciELO, Google Scholar, LILACS, BIREME, and PubMed databases from August 2025 to December 2026. Full-text articles published in Portuguese and English and available free of charge between 2019 and 2025 were included. The findings indicated that acceptance of generic drugs is still influenced by misinformation and misconceptions regarding their quality and efficacy. It is concluded that health education and guidance from healthcare professionals are essential for building trust and promoting the safe and rational use of these drugs.