Falsified Drugs in the Opinion of Patients Diagnosed with Cardiovascular Diseases—Nationwide and Cross-Sectional Study on the Example of EU-Member Country

Damian Świeczkowski, Szymon Zdanowski, Piotr Merks and Miłosz Jaguszewski
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Damian Świeczkowski: First Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, Debinki 7, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland
Szymon Zdanowski: Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, Mariana Smoluchowskiego 17, 80-214 Gdańsk, Poland
Piotr Merks: Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University, 01-938 Warsaw, Poland
Miłosz Jaguszewski: First Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, Debinki 7, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 7, 1-13

Abstract: Background: In light of a falsified medications pandemic, understanding the patient perspective on falsified medicines is warranted. Our study aimed to investigate the perspectives regarding falsified medicines among patients with cardiovascular diseases. Methods: Computer-assisted telephone interviews were conducted based on a questionnaire: (i) Respondents suffering from cardiovascular diseases and (ii) respondents not being chronically ill. Only participants below 50 years of age were included. Results: We enrolled 1200 respondents total, 800 in the study group and 400 in the control group (in cooperation with a professional public opinion research center). The vast majority of participants agreed that community pharmacies are the only place that ensures the secure purchasing of non-falsified drugs (67.01% study group and 65.25% control group; p < 0.01). The majority of respondents were convinced that purchasing medications on the Internet is associated with a higher risk of receiving falsified drugs. Patients diagnosed with cardiovascular diseases and those with “non-satisfactory financial situation” had significantly decreased likelihoods of obtaining a high score in general knowledge on falsified medications (OR = 0.64 and OR = 0.58, respectively). Conclusions: Awareness of the risks associated with falsified drugs among patients with cardiovascular diseases remains high but still insufficient.

Keywords: counterfeit medicine; falsified medicine; public health; Falsified Medicines Directive; European Union; pharmacist (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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