제네릭 제품명에 국제일반명(INN) 사용에 대한 소비자 인식과 기대효과

Consumer Perceptions and Acceptance of International Nonproprietary Names (INNs) for Generic Drugs in Korea

Many countries have adopted International Nonproprietary Names (INNs) for drugs, as recommended by the WHO, to reduce medication errors and enhance patient safety. However, the adoption rate in Korea still remains low. We conducted a survey of consumer’s perceptions to evaluate the acceptance and anticipated outcomes of implementing INNs for generic drugs. A questionnaire included 20 questions assessing demographic characteristics, knowledge of generic drugs, preferences and opinions on generic drug naming policies. Conducted online nationwide, the survey included 1,000 participants aged 19 to 69. Among the respondents, 50.9% considered generic drugs as equally effective as originals. Daily users were more likely to agree with the view of equivalence than those who rarely take medicine (58.8% vs 41.6%, p<0.001). When generic drug names were presented with both ‘brand names’ and ‘INNs’, 68.4% to 79.0% of respondents preferred INNs to brand names. Respondents rated the risk of confusion between similar product names of generics, INNs had lower confusion ratings compared to brand names, suggesting a reduced likelihood of confusion. A vast majority of respondents expected adopting INNs in generic names would help to identify active ingredients (80.6%), reduce name confusion (78.7%), decrease duplication in prescribing or purchasing (78.3%), and minimize administration errors (75.7%). A significant consumer preference for the adoption of the INN policy has been observed. In Korea, where generic drugs are prevalent, promoting the use of INNs in the naming of generic drug products is expected to enhance medication safety and management efficiency.