Consumer awareness and acceptance of generic medicines is high, according to a survey by the Irish Medicines Board (IMB).

The survey undertaken for the IMB found that 8 out of 10 respondents would accept a generic medicine if offered it by their doctor or pharmacist, while nine out of ten consumers who had personally used generic medicines said that they had had a positive experience overall.

The survey found that three out of four consumers said they were familiar with the term 'generic medicine'.

The survey findings also highlight a deep level of trust by Irish adults in healthcare professionals. GPs (64%) and pharmacists (31%) were the most trusted sources of medicines advice, according to the survey

The IMB says these findings are particularly relevant in advance of the Government's plans to introduce a system of generic substitution and reference pricing shortly.

Under this system, the IMB will publish a list of interchangeable medicines on its website showing those medicines that can be safely substituted by pharmacists.