Survey: 1/3 of doctors prescribe brand-name drugs when generics are available

Posted at: 01/08/2013 7:06 AM

Nearly a third of physicians say they prescribe a brand-name drug when there is a generic equivalent -- if a patient asks.
 
The survey of nearly 2,000 doctors found 37-percent met a patient's request for a brand name drug even though it costs 30 to 80-percent more than the generic.  
 
Internal medicine physicians and psychiatrists, as well as those in a small practice, were more likely to write prescriptions for brand-name drugs.
 
Researchers also found receiving free drug samples increased the practice.