Using narrative to explore consumer and pharmacist experience of generic medicines.

The experiences of consumers and pharmacists regarding generic medicine substitution in Australia, Italy and Finland are explored using narrative and metaphor. Consumer confusion; suspicion; annoyance; and exasperation are identified, along with pharmacists’ experiences of professional challenge and frustration in offering consumers generic substitutes. The study evidences that doctors, pharmacists, and consumers are co-creators in a service network, but that co-operative behaviour is often absent, resulting in confusion and potential disadvantage to the end user. It suggests that to reduce consumer confusion and increase the acceptance of generic substitution, co-operation and open dialogue involving all the participants of this service network is critical, along with specific strategies to address the confusion.