Prescription drug spending is a significant percentage of the healthcare cost to patients and the healthcare system, and it is especially important in the field of ophthalmology, as many conditions are managed with pharmacotherapy to prevent or slow visual impairment.

It is important to identify any modifiable factors that could decrease costs for patients to help lessen the risk of becoming visually impaired and the cost burden on the healthcare system.

This study sought to understand why ophthalmologists hesitate to prescribe generics and what encourages them to do so through anonymous survey questioning.

Ophthalmologists should be aware of generic options, become familiar with the price difference of generics versus brand-name drugs for commonly prescribed medications, and seek patients’ opinions on generics and correct them when possible to increase generic utilization.

There are several possible modifiable factors that both patients and prescribers can change that could help to increase the amount of generic drug utilization and therefore decrease the overall healthcare cost.