Pharmacists’ Awareness and Perceptions of Biosimilars in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Objective: The current study aimed to evaluate practicing pharmacists’ awareness and perceptions about
biosimilars in Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed using a prevalidated
and self-administered research tool by convenience sampling method. Registered pharmacists were
approached to participate in the study. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed using the Statistical
Package for the Social Sciences version 24.0. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Out of
319 pharmacists, 34.79% were familiar and 12.87% were very much familiar with the biosimilars. Around 33.22%
were aware of the approval pathway and regulatory issues associated with prescribing biosimilars. The majority
of the respondents (>60%) had good awareness and positive perception toward biosimilars. Conclusion: This
study concluded an appropriate awareness and positive perception toward biosimilars among pharmacists in Saudi
Arabia. Statistically non-significant association regarding biosimilars’ perception and awareness was observed
between male and female pharmacists.