Table 2. Descriptive statistics of the items.
| Item | Description | Mean±SD | Median (IQR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I know what generic medications are | 1.502±0.795 | 1 (1) |
| 2 | I know the difference between generics and brand name medications | 1.526±0.771 | 1 (1) |
| 3 | A brand name and a generic medication contain the same active substance | 1.583±0.903 | 1 (1) |
| 4 | The potency of generic and brand name medications is the same | 2.466±1.125 | 2 (1) |
| 5 | The safety of generic and brand name medications is the same | 2.756±1.109 | 3 (2) |
| 6 | The production standards of generic and brand name medications are the same | 2.903±1.124 | 3 (2) |
| 7 | The price of generic medications is considerably lower than brand name medications | 1.843±0.975 | 2 (1) |
| 8 | Substitution of brand-name with generic medicines can also be done by pharmacists | 3.516±1.368 | 4 (3) |
| 9 | Substitution of brand-name with generic medicines should only be done by doctors | 1.861±1.130 | 1 (1) |
| 10 | I believe that the use of generic medicines will reduce any relationships between doctors and pharmaceutical companies against the rules | 2.848±1.298 | 3 (2) |
| 11 | I believe that the use of generic medicines will reduce the total cost of therapy | 2.205±1.061 | 2 (2) |
| 12 | I would trust more a brand name than a generic medicine | 2.258±1.105 | 2 (2) |
| 13 | I would trust more a doctor who would prescribe me a brand-name rather than a generic medicine | 3.128±1.134 | 3 (2) |
| 14 | I am skeptical about generic medicines because of their lower price | 3.647±1.074 | 4 (1) |
| 15 | I believe that generics were invented and promoted in order to resolve the financial crisis of social security institutions at the expense of citizens | 3.267±1.251 | 3 (2) |
| 16 | Generic medicines have more undesirable effects (side-effects) than brand name medicines | 3.215±1.107 | 3 (1) |
| 17 | The Greek authorities are able to detect possible irregularities in the production of generic medicines | 3.402±1.139 | 4 (1) |
| 18 | The Greek authorities are able to detect in time and retract batches of generic drugs with reduced potency and/or safety | 3.427±1.113 | 4 (1) |
| 19 | In case of ineffectiveness of Greek authorities, European authorities are capable of detecting possible irregularities in potency and/or safety of generic medicines in the Greek market | 2.924±1.054 | 3 (2) |
| 20 | I would be worried if my medication was changed from brand-name to generic | 2.907±1.204 | 3 (2) |
a IQR, Interquartile range